The Delhi High Court has issued an order restraining unknown parties from misusing the image, voice, likeness or other attributes of spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the creation or circulation of deepfake or AI-generated content, thus affirming protection over his personality rights. The court emphasized that irreparable harm would follow if such deepfake content were allowed to proliferate. The order, dated August 26, enjoins “John Doe” defendants from infringing the personality and publicity rights of the petitioner by exploiting, directly or indirectly, his name “Ravi Shankar” or “Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,” voice, image, likeness, unique style of discourse and delivery, or any other attribute exclusively identifiable with him, for commercial or personal gain, without his consent or authorization.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar approached the court seeking an injunction against the circulation of fabricated video content that allegedly used advanced AI tools. He contended that the manipulated content misattributed to him promotions of questionable remedies for serious health conditions, and falsely attributed scientific research and miraculous cures to him. These videos, which surfaced between July and August 2025, allegedly distorted his identity and teachings, and threatened to mislead the public while tarnishing his reputation. He argued that the unauthorized manipulation of his persona undermined his control over his name, likeness and the distinctive style through which he is recognized.
After hearing the matter, the court accepted the submission that the petitioner’s personality rights were being violated and granted an interim injunction. Legal representation for Sri Sri Ravi Shankar included Senior Advocate Nikhil Sakhardande along with Pooja Tidke, Pranav Sarthi, Ashish Venugopal, Apoorva Singh and Prachi Dhingra. The respondents were represented by advocates Chetanya Puri, Anand Awasthi and Nisha Puri for defendants two and three, and by Varun Pathak, Yash Karunakaran and Tanuj Sharma for defendant number four. The court’s decision acknowledges that the unauthorized creation and dissemination of deepfake AI content using a person’s identifiable attributes can constitute a violation of personality and publicity rights, warranting judicial restraint to prevent misuse and harm.
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