The Delhi High Court has issued directions requiring several political parties and individuals to take down online content that allegedly defames BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam by linking him to the Ankita Bhandari murder case. The bench presided over by Justice Mini Pushkarna heard a petition filed by Gautam, who sought relief against what he described as widespread defamatory publications circulating on social media platforms, which purportedly connected him to the widely-reported murder of Ankita Bhandari in 2022. Gautam’s suit named a range of parties, including the Indian National Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and various individual activists, along with social media accounts and platforms, alleging that they were responsible for posting and sharing material that wrongly implicated him in the criminal case. The High Court, after considering the matter, directed defendants including political parties and individuals to remove posts and videos on platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X that contained references portraying Gautam as the “VIP” allegedly involved in the murder or otherwise targeting his reputation in relation to the case. The court’s order also restrained these defendants from posting or circulating any further content that named or targeted Gautam in connection with the Ankita Bhandari case, finding that a prima facie case for interim relief existed in favour of Gautam and that failure to grant an injunction would cause irreparable injury to his reputation.
Gautam’s petition contended that the defamatory material being shared online was without evidential basis and was contrary to investigative records and judicial findings, asserting that his name did not feature in any official investigative document or FIR related to the murder. He claimed that videos and posts, including those by individuals such as Urmila Sanawar and political entities like the Congress and AAP, had been viewed and shared widely, amplifying the alleged defamation and causing significant harm to his personal and political standing. Gautam urged the court to intervene and order the removal of such content, arguing that the allegations were false, unverified and had the effect of maligning his reputation without substantiation. In support of his case, counsel for Gautam highlighted that the material being circulated depicted him in contexts suggesting involvement in the murder, which he denied, and sought damages in addition to injunctive relief to prevent further dissemination of the defamatory content. The court found that the grievances raised by Gautam indicated a real threat to his reputation and directed that if the initially restrained parties failed to comply within a specified period, the social media platforms named as additional defendants would be required to take down the identified content in accordance with applicable information technology rules.
The court’s order specified that Gautam would be at liberty to identify and communicate details of any further identical online content to the platforms, and that if the platforms considered any such material not covered by the injunction then in force, they could inform Gautam, who would be entitled to seek further appropriate orders from the court. The plaintiffs in the suit were thus given a mechanism to ensure ongoing compliance with the injunction and to address evolving instances of alleged defamatory material. The legal action brought by Gautam in the High Court reflects an attempt to counter online narratives and social media posts that have linked his name with the Ankita Bhandari murder controversy, despite the absence of any judicial or investigative finding implicating him in the crime. The case underscores the intersection of high-profile criminal matters, political discourse and the challenges posed by the rapid spread of allegations on digital platforms. The High Court’s interim directions aim to curb the circulation of such material and protect individual reputation pending further adjudication of the suit on its merits.
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