Making it clear that no content causing harassment to citizens or infringing on personal rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution could be permitted, Justice NV Shravan Kumar of the Telangana High Court has directed YouTube India to immediately block defamatory content on one of its channels MIMAMSA Victims.
This channel is maintained by A Murali Krishna and Samatha Shyamala.
The judge also restrained the respondents from uploading any further defamatory material targeting the petitioners and adjourned the case to December 4.
The court was hearing a writ petition filed by Molla Shivakumar alias Shivaiah, a real estate businessman, along with his wife and son alleging that the respondents uploaded defamatory content on YouTube to tarnish their reputation.
The petitioners said that the respondents previously invested in real estate ventures based on their advice and had seen financial success. However, the respondents later filed criminal cases against the petitioners, accusing them of financial impropriety.
The petitioners claimed that the YouTube channel “MIMAMSA Victims” was created with malicious intent to malign their reputation. The channel had uploaded 51 defamatory videos containing family photographs, false allegations, and baseless accusations, they said and added that despite their request to YouTube India on July 2, 2024, to remove the content, no action was taken.
The court noted the serious implications of the defamatory content, including its impact on the petitioners’ reputation and personal life. It was highlighted that the petitioner’s wife attempted suicide due to the harassment caused by the videos. Justice Kumar observed that the respondents’ actions were malicious and infringed upon the petitioners’ privacy.