A local court in Chandigarh has issued notices to actor Salman Khan, his sister Alvira Khan, Style Quotient Jewellery Pvt Ltd, Prasad Bindu Madhav, Santosh Srivastava and Being Human Foundation in a private criminal complaint filed by Manimajra-based businessman Arun Gupta. The notices were issued under the proviso to Section 223 of the BNSS at the pre-cognisance stage.In its order, the court said: “In view of the law laid down and judicial pronouncements, this court deems it appropriate to issue notice to the accused persons under the proviso to Section 223 of the BNSS, at the pre-cognisance stage for October 5, 2026, on filing of RC/AD,” referring to registered post with acknowledgement due.Gupta filed the complaint through advocate Rajwinder Singh Rajput under Sections 405, 409, 415, 417, 420 and 120B of the IPC.According to the complaint, Gupta opened a showroom for ‘Being Human Jewellery’ in Manimajra, NAC. As per an agreement with Style Quotient Private Limited, Mumbai, which had partnered with Being Human, he was to display the company’s jewellery at his showroom with their assistance. Gupta alleged that ‘Being Human’ is a trust owned and set up by the actor. He was told that Salman Khan would promote the showroom on the reality show Bigg Boss and that the actor would inaugurate the premises.Relying on these assurances, he spent Rs 50 lakh on renovating the showroom and another Rs 1 crore on purchasing stock. However, instead of Salman Khan, his brother-in-law Aayush Sharma attended the inauguration in November 2018. The showroom from where he was supposed to collect stock has remained locked since February 2020. Gupta said he suffered huge financial losses due to this. He alleged that the actor and the CEO of Style Quotient Private Limited, along with other officials, had defrauded him. He further claimed that although he filed a complaint with the police, no action was taken.The court, in its order passed on August 4, noted: “The right to a prior hearing under Section 223 of the BNSS is a procedural safeguard rooted in the principles of natural justice and fair trial. The accused must be given the benefit of this procedural safeguard even in complaints filed before the enforcement of the BNSS but taken cognisance of afterward.”The matter will now be heard on October 5, 2026.