In a significant turn of events, the District Court of Faridabad has issued a summons to well-known YouTuber and motivational speaker, Sandeep Maheshwari, over allegations of defamation. The case, filed by Dr. Vivek Bindra, a distinguished author and entrepreneur, accuses Maheshwari of disseminating defamatory content via his YouTube channel, aimed at tarnishing Bindra’s reputation.
The controversy centers around several videos and community posts made by Maheshwari, which, according to the court’s findings, seem to have significantly impacted Bindra’s public image. The court, in its detailed order, pointed out that the content in question has not only maligned Bindra but has also presented him in a negative light to the public, fulfilling the criteria under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code that pertains to defamation.
The court’s observations highlighted that the videos made by Maheshwari led viewers to make a choice between supporting ‘the public’ or Vivek Bindra, thereby influencing public perception against Bindra based on arguably insubstantial evidence. This framing of the narrative, the court noted, was particularly damaging.
This legal development follows a previous decision by the court in February, where it had rejected Bindra’s plea to have the contentious videos removed from YouTube. The court’s documents reveal that Bindra’s complaint emphasized the alleged malicious intent behind Maheshwari’s actions, designed to degrade Bindra’s standing among the general populace.
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The genesis of this legal confrontation was a video released by Maheshwari on December 11, 2023, which set off a flurry of reciprocal posts and videos between the two parties. Bindra’s response was to file a civil suit on December 19, 2023, in Faridabad, seeking redress for the alleged defamation.
Sandeep Maheshwari is now required to appear before the court on April 2.
