The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the removal of objectionable social media content allegedly targeting Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, after finding a prima facie case of defamation in his favour.
Justice Amit Bansal passed the interim order while hearing a civil suit filed by Choudhary, a senior National Conference leader, who has sought a permanent and mandatory injunction against what he describes as defamatory content with sexual undertones circulating on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube.
During the hearing, Choudhary’s counsel urged the court to intervene urgently, arguing that viral videos had been circulated in which his client’s face was superimposed alongside a woman, causing serious harm to his reputation. The court accepted the plea for interim relief, noting that the material placed on record made out a prima facie case in support of the plaintiff.
The High Court also took note of the averments in the suit that Choudhary has maintained an unblemished public record throughout his political career and has risen to his present position through his own efforts. Choudhary currently represents the Nowshera Assembly constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, the court had flagged a procedural issue, observing that transcripts of the allegedly defamatory content had not been filed, making it difficult to assess whether the material was, in fact, defamatory. It had accordingly directed Choudhary to place the impugned content on record along with transcripts.
Responding to this, the plaintiff’s counsel informed the court that the objectionable content carrying sexual overtones had been uploaded on various social media platforms, with much of it dating back nearly two years. It was also pointed out that a majority of the URLs in question related to media reports.
The matter has now been listed for further proceedings in April, when the court is expected to examine the case in greater detail.
