In a relief to Hindi actor Salman Khan, the Bombay Civil Court temporarily restrained access to an online mobile game called Selmon Bhai, allegedly based on the 2002 hit and run case and the 1998 Blackbuck poaching case the actor was involved in, Live Law reported.
The court, while observing that the images and the mechanical features of the game have an “impressionistic resemblance” to the actor, has ordered Parody Studios, the makers of the game, to immediately take down, block or disable access to the game from the Google Play Store and all other platforms.
The court also noted that Khan had not given any “consent for installing, preparing and running such game which is very similar to his identity and the case which was against him, certainly his right to privacy is being deprived and is also tarnishing his image”,
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Khan had moved a Bombay court seeking various injunctive and other reliefs related to the game and in his suit, had argued that the game’s name sounds similar to that of his popular fan name- ‘Salman Bhai’ and that the images are a caricature version of him along with recreated events of his hit-and-run case and Blackbuck case which are sub-judice in the court. He also alleged that such usage has tarnished his image and goodwill by portraying factually incorrect and misleading information and sought enforcement of his right to privacy and reputation.
“Selmon Bhoi is on a quest to finish entire life on earth by smashing the hell out of every single BOO-slims life. The BOO-slims who took Aish from him (Generally sleeping on footpath) when he was drunk. Surely, he had beaten her too much but still love is love and nobody can separate two lovers from each other not even Bach…ns. These merciless BOO-slims must DIE! (sic)” reads the description of the game on the Google Play Store.
Restraining the makers of the game from disseminating, launching, re-launching and recreating the game or any other content related to Khan, the court has also ordered them to refrain from making any further derogatory remarks against the actor.
The matter will be next heard on September 20.
In 2002, Khan was arrested for rash and negligent driving under the influence of alcohol after he rammed his car into a bakery injuring three homeless persons sleeping on the pavement on the way and one died during the accident. Though Khan was found guilty of all charges in 2015, he was later acquitted of all charges in 2018 due to lack of evidence.
During the shooting of the 1999 Hindi film Hum Saath Saath Hain in the forests near Jodhpur 1998, Khan was booked by Rajasthan police accused of poaching of endangered antelopes under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, keeping and using firearms with an expired licence after the death of a Blackbuck, an endangered species. Despite finalising charges against him, he was acquitted of all charges due to lack of evidence in 2016. After the state government moved the Supreme Court challenging his acquittal, the Jodhpur court convicted him and sentenced him to five years imprisonment in 2018. He is currently released on bail.