Delhi High Court orders removal of five defamatory posts

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered the removal of five social media posts found to be prima facie defamatory against Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha. The court declined to grant broader interim relief concerning alleged violations of his personality rights, clarifying that the case primarily involves defamation claims.

Justice Subramonium Prasad issued the order on Chadha's application seeking protection against what he described as a coordinated online campaign. The MP, who recently switched from the Aam Aadmi Party to the Bharatiya Janata Party, had petitioned the court over the alleged unauthorized use of his image, likeness, and voice through AI-generated deepfakes, morphed visuals, and manipulated content.

The court directed the takedown of specific posts that portrayed Chadha as having "sold himself for money," holding that this material crossed the line from legitimate criticism into defamation. However, Justice Prasad stated that the remaining content cited in the petition did not appear defamatory at first glance and therefore warranted no interim action. He explicitly noted that the present suit does not involve personality rights, indicating the grievance falls...