Physically challenged woman withdraws petition against Salman

The bench, however, gave Phoolbanoo Bakshi Ilahi the liberty to either file a private criminal complaint before a magistrate or a civil suit for damages and injunction against publication of  the photograph in a newspaper.Ilahi withdrew the petition as Justices D B Bhosale and A R Joshi said that they would not issue a direction on her writ.

Alleging defamation, Phoolbanoo had sought damages of Rs 25 lakh from Salman and others. The Court had issued notices to police, Salman, producer Vijay Gilani of Hindi film "Veer", and a city tabloid.

Phoolbanoo contended that she was a fan of Salman and had met him in Film city in April last year with her mother and sister. She claimed that Salman had asked his own photographer to click their picture. She asked Salman not to sell the photograph to anyone as she was a veil-wearing woman.

But in December, she saw the photographs in an English eveninger along with a report which said that the actor had given her Rs one lakh out of compassion.Phoolbanoo said this was totally false and claimed that because of the photograph and the report, she had to face humiliation. The woman said she had approached V P Road police station, but police only recorded a non-cognisable complaint and refused to lodge an FIR for defamation.