The Bombay High Court has banned media houses and online platforms from mentioning the ‘Ashirwad’ bungalow in Bandra that once belonged to the late Bollywood superstar. Rajesh Khannasuch as “cursed”, “haunted” or “unfortunate”.Justice Arif S Doctor, in an interim order passed on July 24, said such descriptions are defamatory on their face and violate the fundamental right of the plaintiff to live in peace and dignity.Shashi Shetty, a businessman who bought the iconic bungalow a few years ago, approached the court after seeing numerous articles, posts and videos on the internet describing the property as “haunted”, “cursed” and “ominous”.Senior lawyer Birendra Saraf, representing Shetty, told the court that he built a new house after demolishing the original bungalow but did not change the name. The new house is also known as ‘Ashirwad’, the lawyer said.The complainant pointed out that the Indiadotcom website recently published an article titled “19 Real Haunted Houses in India That Will Make You Break in a Cold Sweat”, and Ashirwaad Bungalow was also on the list.The judge found that it was “entirely reasonable” for the shipowner to seek interim relief.The order states: “It appears to me, prima facie, that these materials are defamatory to the plaintiff and suggest that he lives in a haunted, purportedly cursed bungalow.”Furthermore, the Supreme Court said it would also clearly violate Shetty’s “right to live in peace and dignity”.The judge also noted that none of the defendants had appeared in court to defend or defend their publications.The Court held: “It is therefore manifest, in my prima facie view, that such a publication is wholly unreasonable and its essence is to create sensationalism at the expense of the plaintiff through no fault of his.”The interim relief will last until the next hearing on August 21, 2026.
