The Delhi High Court has noted an undertaking from Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) members Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka to remove social media posts that allegedly defamed BJP leader and senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia. This order was issued by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela during the hearing of Bhatia’s defamation litigation, which seeks ₹2 crore in damages.

Bhatia appeared personally in court to address the matter, presenting his claims regarding the harmful impact of the online content. Both defendants’ legal representatives assured the court that the posts in question would be promptly taken down and were directed to complete this action within 24 hours.

During the proceedings, the Court highlighted the importance of expressing oneself articulately in protests and acknowledged that while individuals possess the right to free speech, it must be executed responsibly to avoid misleading audiences.

Details of the Disputed Posts

Reports indicate that the controversy stems from a social media post, which included a purported quote attributed to Bhatia. Counsel for Das informed the court that one disputed tweet had already been deleted but noted the existence of another contentious post. This highlighted concerns regarding the persistence of harmful online content.

Furthermore, the court scrutinised the involvement of Abhijeet Dipke, questioning his connection to the case. Counsel representing Dipke clarified that no tweets from him formed part of the current dispute, thereby distancing him from the allegations made against the other defendants.

Bhatia underscored that he is facing aggravated defamation, asserting that the allegedly fabricated materials are inflicting substantial damage on his reputation. He specifically claimed that his image was misused in conjunction with a falsified statement, further exacerbated by the presence of a news organisation’s logo, which purportedly lent unwarranted credibility to the content.

Claims Against Social Media Platforms

As part of his legal efforts, Bhatia requested that social media platforms, including X and Meta, facilitate the removal of the allegedly fabricated images and associated content. However, Meta’s counsel responded by clarifying that the platform requires specific legal directives to act against content proactively, which complicates the process of content removal.

The court permitted Bhatia to engage directly with social media companies regarding similar content, allowing him the autonomy to address potential reputational harm through official channels. This approach aims to expedite the resolution of existing disputes stemming from online statements.

The original concern raises its roots from an alleged AI-generated graphic shared on X, which Bhatia claims falsely attributed remarks about Swatantra Bhardwaj to him. He has categorically denied making any such comments and expressed frustration over the misleading presentation that the post projected to a wide audience.

Bhatia’s legal petition indicates that the disputed post was disseminated on September 5 and garnered over 1.32 lakh views prior to his intervention. He sought not only the removal of the post but also a public apology from the defendants before escalating the matter to court. The court has yet to adjudicate the merits of the allegations presented by Bhatia.

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