Delhi HC Orders Take-Down of Defamatory Posts Linking BJP Leader to 2022 Murder
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The Delhi High Court has directed the removal of social media posts within 24 hours that link Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dushyant Gautam to the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari, a resort receptionist in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal. The court also restrained several individuals and parties, including actor Urmila Sanawar and former BJP lawmaker Suresh Rathore, from posting similar content. Gautam had filed a defamation suit against those who linked him to the murder, which the court found to be prima facie defamatory. The court observed that the defendants' actions could cause irreparable harm to Gautam's reputation. Meta, the operator of Facebook and Instagram, has been directed to take down the posts if the defendants fail to comply. The court will next hear the case on May 4. Bhandari's murder, allegedly at the hands of a resort owner and his associates, led to the conviction of three individuals, including the resort owner's son. Sanawar had earlier released a clip alleging a 'VIP' was involved in the murder, naming Gautam and another BJP leader as the alleged VIPs. Gautam's lawyers have denied the allegations, stating that the videos and audio recordings were fabricated and circulated to tarnish his reputation.
