Don't share 'defamatory' content against Indiabulls: Delhi HC to Swamy, social media platforms

The Delhi High Court on Friday restrained BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and social media giants Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp from publishing or disseminating any "false, offending or defamatory" allegations against Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd (IBHFL).

Justice Mukta Gupta, in an interim order, also directed a web portal and the social media platforms to remove or take down or expunge the "offending false messages" from their platforms.

The court issued summons to web portal PGurus, its CEO and cartoonists, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Rajya Sabha MP Swamy, and sought their responses on a suit by IBHFL.

The suit claimed that the defendants are publishing articles/creating cartoons which are being shared on various platforms by others, thereby circulating incorrect, false, motivated information with respect to the plaintiff company.

This, it said, was resulting in the company's shares declining drastically.

It referred to the alleged defamatory statements purportedly made by Swamy and disseminated by PGurus through social media.

The court said the company has made out a prima facie case in its favour and in case no ad-interim injunction is granted, it would suffer an irreparable loss.

The court restrained the defendants from "publishing or disseminating/uploading in any manner on their website, messenger application, social media including Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp or any other platform operated by them in respect of the allegations which are false, offending or defamatory" till the next date of hearing on December 17.