HC directs Cong, AAP to remove posts linking Dushyant Kumar Gautam to Ankita Bhandari case
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party to remove within 24 hours social media posts linking BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam to the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case.
In an interim order passed on a defamation lawsuit by Gautam, Justice Mini Pushkarna also restrained the two political parties from posting any content targeting the BJP national secretary as the alleged "VIP" in the murder case.
The judge said if the content was not taken down within 24 hours, the social media platforms would remove the same as per the rules.
The court also passed the directions against other persons and entities, including actor Urmila Sanawar and Uttarakhand Pradesh Congress Committee.
"Till the next date of hearing, the following directions are passed: Defendants 1 to 9 (Congress, AAP and others)... are restrained from hosting, uploading, publishing, circulating .. any content which names, targets, or imputes that the plaintiff is the alleged VIP in the Ankita Bhandari matter. Defendants 1 to 9 are directed to remove the various posts and videos uploaded on social media platforms, namely, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and X," the court ordered.
"In the event the defendants 1 to 9 fail to comply with the directions within 24 hours of pronouncement of this order, defendants 10 to 12 (X, Meta Platforms Inc and Google LLC) are directed to take down the aforesaid posts as per the rules," it further said.
Justice Pushkarna said Gautam had made out a prima facie case in his favour and if the interim order to restrain the hosting of the "defamatory" content was not passed, irreparable injury would be caused to him.
The court asked the social media platforms to also take down any "identical" content once it was flagged by the BJP leader.
In 2022, 19-year-old Bhandari, a receptionist at the Vanantra Resort in Pauri district, was murdered. The resort owner, Pulkit Arya, and two employees, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta were subsequently arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court for the crime.
An audio clip recently released by Sanawar, who claims to be the wife of former MLA Suresh Rathore, allegedly mentioned a 'VIP' allegedly linked to the case.
In his lawsuit, Bhandari has sought Rs 2 crore as damages from the Congress and AAP as well as Sanawar, Rathore, Uttarakhand Predesh Congress Committee and its President Ganesh Godiyal and Congress' national media panellist Alok Sharma.
Relief is also sought against X users Mohit Chauhan and '@PMNehru'.
On Wednesday, the senior counsel appearing for Gautam argued that his "impeccable reputation" of five decades was being tarnished by the Congress, AAP and others by linking him to a murder case in which conviction had already happened after a trial.
Calling it "outright defamation", he emphasised that Gautam's name never came up in the investigation and the defendants' social media posts were damaging his reputation "without an iota of evidence".
The senior counsel further claimed that Sanawar was a "habitual offender" who has many criminal cases against her, and the Congress and AAP propagated her false narrative.
"It is a matter of grave concern that political parties are carrying out press conferences and circulating video clips and defamatory posts without verifying facts and making further malicious allegations in complete absence of any substantial material," the lawsuit said.
The matter would be heard next on May 4.
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Delhi Police identifies 10 social media influencers over Turkman Gate violence, summons one
New Delhi (PTI): A female social media influencer has been summoned for questioning after Delhi Police identified 10 influencers who allegedly spread rumours that the Faiz-e-Elahi Mosque near Turkman Gate had been demolished during a court-ordered anti-encroachment drive.
The woman was summoned after social media monitoring teams of the police flagged a video in which she purportedly claimed that the mosque in Delhi's Ramlila Maidan had been razed, a senior police officer said on Thursday.
"Teams have identified at least 10 social media accounts, including one Salman, which were spreading rumours about the drive," he said, adding that the content being circulated was misleading and factually incorrect, triggering violence as many people pelted stones at police personnel.
"We have prepared a list of 10 influencers whose posts and videos are under scrutiny. We have more people under the radar. Our teams are analysing the content being circulated on social media, and these influencers will be questioned soon," the officer added.
Police said the woman has already been summoned after preliminary verification found her claims to be false and capable of creating fear and communal tension. The video, police said, was linked to misinformation surrounding a court-ordered anti-encroachment drive near the Faiz-e-Elahi Mosque area.
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"The video contained misleading claims related to the recent anti-encroachment drive. Such content has the potential to disturb public order and harmony," a police source said.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan had clarified that he personally had a meeting with more than 120-130 Maulvis days before the demolition.
"I made them understand that no demolition will be done in the Mosque, and only the illegally encroached area will be demolished. We have even told them that they can appeal against the court order," he said.
Another officer said that their social media teams are keeping a strict vigil on all platforms and closely monitoring the content being circulated. "Misinformation will not be tolerated, and those found spreading such content will be summoned," the officer said.
He said that strict action would be taken against anyone attempting to disturb public order by circulating rumours or misleading information. "No one will be spared if they are found trying to create panic or communal tension through false narratives," the officer said.
Police also appealed to the public to rely only on verified information and to refrain from forwarding unverified posts on social media platforms. "People are requested not to believe or share unverified content. Any attempt to mislead the public will invite legal action," the officer said.
So far, 10 people have been arrested and a juvenile apprehended for the violence. All are residents of the Turkman Gate area, police said.
Trouble began after social media posts falsely claimed that the mosque opposite Turkman Gate was being demolished, prompting more than 200 people to gather and later pelt stones and bottles at police personnel and civic body workers.
Officers have repeatedly clarified that the mosque was not damaged during the drive and that only illegal encroachments were cleared, including a diagnostic centre, a banquet hall and boundary walls.
The Additional CP Valsan earlier in the day said that adequate deployment of police and paramilitary forces has been made in the area to maintain law and order and that the situation is being closely monitored.
Police said they will continue monitoring social media platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation and maintain peace in the area.
