The Delhi High Court issued an order directing the removal of abusive and derogatory social media posts made against the online education platform PhysicsWallah by a former employee, in response to a defamation suit filed by the company. The suit was filed against the former employee, identified as Nikhil Kumar Singh, and against social media platforms on which the allegedly defamatory content was published. In the petition, PhysicsWallah sought damages amounting to ₹2 crore for defamation. The interim injunction order was passed by Justice Jyoti Singh. Senior Advocate Amit Sibal, appearing on behalf of PhysicsWallah, described the matter not only as a case of defamation but also as one involving abuse. He submitted to the Court that Singh, who was previously employed by PhysicsWallah, had posted content online accusing the company of being a “scam” and making grossly defamatory statements about the platform and its employees. The abusive material included comments in which Singh purportedly labeled the organization as a “tree of nepotism” and made other disparaging remarks. Additionally, the company alleged that Singh’s actions had resulted in trademark infringement, contending that the reputation of PhysicsWallah’s trademark was being tarnished through his posts.
During the hearing, the judge remarked critically on the nature of the language used, addressing Singh’s counsel by stating that the former employee’s “dictionary perhaps knows only abuses” and questioning the defense’s attempt to justify such conduct. In response, Singh’s counsel referenced various third-party media reports and adverse comments about PhysicsWallah, arguing that those too should be included as defendants in the case. The Court addressed this argument by challenging who permitted the use of abusive language and underscored that such conduct was not acceptable. The judge pressed Singh’s counsel to commit to taking down the content and to refrain from repeating such posts in the future, indicating that any continuing injunctive action would involve serious judicial observations and would not be treated lightly.
Following these exchanges, the Court requested that PhysicsWallah’s counsel provide a list of the specific links and posts that were the subject of the interim injunction so that an order for their removal could be issued. The Court also set procedural timelines for the defense, asking Singh’s counsel to submit written submissions in the underlying defamation suit within 30 days and to file a written response to the interim injunction application within two weeks. The matter before the High Court was recorded under the title “PHYSICSWALLAH LIMITED v. NIKHIL KUMAR SINGH & ORS,” reflecting the parties to the defamation proceedings.
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