Key facts
- Delhi HC ordered Centre to remove posts falsely showing CJI and ministers at UK badminton event
- Posts were found to be 'false' by the court
- Centre directed to act under IT provisions for takedown
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Centre to remove social media posts falsely depicting the Chief Justice of India and Union ministers as participants in a badminton event held in the United Kingdom. The court, finding the posts to be demonstrably false, ordered their takedown under applicable information technology provisions.
The case highlights a pattern of fabricated viral content that targets senior public officials and constitutional functionaries, raising questions about accountability on social media platforms. The Delhi HC's intervention signals that courts are increasingly willing to act swiftly against disinformation when it directly implicates the dignity of the highest offices in the land.
The order places the onus squarely on the Central government — which holds authority over IT intermediary guidelines — to execute the removal. It is not yet clear which platforms hosted the offending content, but the directive would require those posts to be identified and taken down promptly.
The ruling comes at a time when Indian courts and regulators are grappling with the speed at which false narratives spread online, particularly those involving political and judicial figures. Legal observers note that while such orders are not unprecedented, their use in cases involving the CJI makes this one particularly significant for the independence and public perception of the judiciary.