The Delhi High Court recently directed multiple media houses, Facebook, Google, YouTube and other unknown entities to take down news reports and media links showing allegedly defamatory and morphed pictures of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Bihar.
The Delhi High Court passed an interim order on February 20 and restrained a host of news platforms from publishing the images. Reportedly, the images showed the legislator in close proximity with a former political associate with whom she has now had some differences. The leader said that the images were morphed.
Justice Prateek Jalan passed the directions and clarified that the order will not bar news platforms from reporting about the factual controversy regarding the images going viral or the proceedings instituted in this regard. However, it underlined that there should be no imputation to the genuineness of the images and equal prominence is given to the MLA’s contention that the images are morphed.
The High Court stated that the order will also not come in the way of publication of any images, if the publisher has verified the veracity of the images and seeks to take the defence of justification in respect of the images in question.
The BJP leader approached the court arguing that her morphed and defamatory images have been circulated on social media and published by various media establishments. She asserted that the images were put up by her former political associate. However, the counsel appearing for the said political associate, denied putting up the images on social media.
Considering the submissions, the High Court said that a prima facie case was made for an interim order because if the relief is not granted, it will cause irreparable loss and injury to the legislator.
Therefore, the court passed an injunction order. Reportedly, Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao along with advocates Vrinda Bhandari, Vishakha Gupta and Anandita Rana appeared for the BJP MLA.