The Delhi High Court has allowed a defamation suit filed by Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Deputy Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, concerning the publication of allegedly objectionable content on social media. The content includes posts and videos with sexual undertones, alleging that the Deputy CM was involved in an illicit relationship with a woman. The petition names major platforms, including Google LLC and Meta Platforms, along with unknown uploaders of the content, and seeks removal of the material and injunctive relief against further publication.
During the hearing, the Court directed the petitioner to implead the actual uploaders of the content as defendants in the suit. The petitioner informed the Court that multiple URLs, some dating back two years, were involved, originating from third-party news agencies as well as social media uploads. The Court expressed concern over the absence of transcriptions for the recordings and videos referred to in the plaint, noting that without clear transcripts, it would be impossible to determine whether the content was indeed defamatory. Accordingly, the petitioner was directed to submit transcripts of the recordings and videos.
Furthermore, the Court ordered the social media platforms, Google LLC and Meta Platforms, to provide details of the Facebook pages, YouTube channels, or other handles from which the impugned content had been uploaded. This information was required to identify the actual uploaders so that they could be joined as defendants, enabling the suit to proceed properly. The matter has been adjourned for further hearing on a future date.
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