NEW DELHI: The Delhi HC has directed removal of “defamatory” posts over the alleged molestation of a journalist on a flight, saying that using social media to circulate the allegations and reveal the identity of the perpetrator before any formal investigation was a severe transgression of his fundamental right to live with dignity and a fair trial.
Justice Vikas Mahajan, in an interim order passed on a lawsuit by the man, asked the woman journalist as well as certain online platforms not to publish the “defamatory allegations” against him till the next hearing in May.
The court said the narrative set by the media houses and digital platforms breached the contours of the FIR registered in the matter as they did not merely report the allegations in the FIR but prematurely adjudicated it by labelling the plaintiff a “culprit” and “molester.”
The court also expressed concern over a tweet by a Bollywood actor, Richa Chadha, endorsing and amplifying the “unverified allegation,” observing that her conduct transcended mere free expression and acted as a “catalyst for public shaming and digital vigilantism.”
The court said being a public figure, Chadha has a legal and moral responsibility to verify the veracity of facts before “leveraging her platform to amplify grave accusations” and asked her to not precipitate the issue in future. Her counsel said she has already removed the tweet.
Actor Richa pulled up for tweet
The plaintiff’s counsel said while travelling from Delhi to Mumbai on a flight on March 11, a woman abruptly woke him up from sleep and falsely accused him of inappropriate conduct. The “unverified” claim was amplified by an actor, Richa Chadha, on X.