The Bombay High Court restrained Meta and others from hosting posts falsely linking Malabar Gold to Pakistan. The Court said using a UK influencer cannot justify spreading defamatory content.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has ordered social media giant Meta, which owns Facebook and WhatsApp, along with other defendants, to remove online posts that linked popular jewellery brand Malabar Gold and Diamonds with Pakistan.
The order was passed by Justice Sandeep V Marne after Malabar Gold complained about a social media campaign that spread false and damaging claims against the company.
The controversy began when the brand engaged a UK-based Instagram influencer of Pakistani origin, Alishba Khalid, to promote the launch of its new showroom in Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Malabar Gold explained to the Court that Khalid had been hired by JAB Studios for the campaign before the Pahalgam attack and India’s subsequent Operation Sindoor.
However, she later made statements criticising India’s surgical strikes. The company stressed that it had “no prior knowledge of her political views” and that her services were “discontinued after learning of the same.”
Even after ending her association, many online users started sharing posts alleging that Malabar Gold sympathised with Pakistan.
The company alleged that these posts were deliberately circulated by business competitors to damage its reputation and hurt sales during the festive season. Malabar Gold presented a list of 442 URLs that contained such defamatory material.
After hearing the submissions, the Court accepted the company’s case and granted an ad-interim injunction.
Justice Marne observed,
“A case is made out for grant of ad-interim injunction in favour of the Plaintiff for pulling down the posts… Defendant Nos.1 to 7 on whose platforms defamatory material is being published against the Plaintiff, deserves to be restrained from permitting publication of any further defamatory material.”
The Court specifically ordered the removal of all 442 URLs listed in the plaint. It also ruled that no further defamatory content should be allowed to be published against Malabar Gold in relation to Khalid.
If new defamatory URLs are found, Malabar Gold can report them to the platforms, and in case of disputes, the company is free to approach the Court for additional relief.
Justice Marne made it clear that
“mere utilization of services of the UK-based social influencer by it at some point of time cannot be a reason for spreading defamatory contents by the competitors.”
The order also restrained one of the defendants (Defendant No.6) from publishing any printed material that linked Malabar Gold with Khalid.
The ad-interim injunction will remain in effect until November 11, when the matter will come up for further hearing.
On the legal representation front, Malabar Gold was represented by Senior Advocate Naushad Engineer along with advocates Amrut Joshi, Premlal Krishnan, Uazad Udwadia, Rehmat Lokhandwala, and Abuzar Khan, instructed by Pan India Legal.
Meta Platforms Inc was represented by advocates Harit Lakhani, Varun Pathak, Amee Rama, Vishesh Sharma, Richa Bharti, and Anannya Gogoi, instructed by Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. Another respondent was represented by advocate Tanvi Rana, instructed by Economic Laws Practice.
This case highlights how businesses can face serious reputational harm due to online misinformation and how courts are stepping in to balance freedom of expression with protection against defamation.
By restraining Meta and other platforms from hosting or allowing the spread of such content, the Court emphasised the need to protect companies from unfair and malicious campaigns, especially during critical times like festive sales.
Case Title:
Malabar Gold Vs Meta.
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