Today(on 5th April), Delhi High Court issues notices to YouTube channels and social media handles in Gaurav Bhatia’s defamation case over misrepresentation of the Noida court incident. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna emphasizes the need for hearing other parties before passing any orders.
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NEW DELHI: Today(on 5th April), The Delhi High Court has made a decision by serving notices to several YouTube channels and social media accounts. This action follows a defamation lawsuit filed by Senior Advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Gaurav Bhatia. The lawsuit centers on an incident at a Noida court where Bhatia was allegedly mistreated, leading to extensive media coverage and discussions.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, presiding over the matter, emphasized the complexity of the situation by stating-
“Granting an ex parte order won’t be feasible. A regrettable incident has occurred, which cannot be denied. The Supreme Court has shown sensitivity and taken notice as well. We will issue a notice, and you can schedule it for any day.”
The court proceeded to serve notices concerning Bhatia’s request for interim relief, paving the way for a hearing scheduled for Monday, April 8.
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Among those notified were YouTube channels such as Article 19 India, operated by journalist Naveen Kumar, The News Launcher, BBI News, and comedian Rajeev Nigam. Furthermore, Twitter handles belonging to individuals such as Sandeep Singh, Vijay Yadav, and several others, including parody accounts, were also included in the notification.
On March 20, 2024, in the jurisdiction of District Judge Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida, an event occurred. During this incident, Bhatia encountered what he describes as an “unfortunate incident,” wherein his turban was forcefully removed by another lawyer in the presence of the judge. This altercation speedy gained traction on social media, resulting in a plethora of videos and posts. Bhatia alleges that some of these representations misrepresented the situation, causing harm to his reputation.
One such video by Article 19 India was titled “Police vakeelo se chhudati, Gaurav Bhatia ki Dhulai ho chuki thi,” suggesting that Bhatia was beaten up before the police could intervene.
Similarly, News Launder’s contribution to the discourse was a video stating-
“BJP Pravakta Gaurav Bhatia ko vakeelo ne koot diya, Godi Media Muh Chhupati Fir Rahi,” (“The lawyers attacked BJP Spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, and the lapdog media remains silent.”)
Implying that Bhatia was attacked by lawyers, with mainstream media turning a blind eye.
These representations, according to Bhatia, are not only misleading but also defamatory, drawing hundreds of thousands of viewers to content that tarnishes his reputation. Advocates Raghav Awasthi and Mukesh Sharma, representing Bhatia, argued that the videos and posts in question make unfounded allegations, with some even justifying the violence against Bhatia, thereby potentially inciting further aggression.
In his defamation suit, Bhatia elaborated on the serious nature of these allegations, emphasizing the use of derogatory language and the portrayal of him in an extremely negative light. He highlighted the damage to his reputation and character, calling the attempts to discredit him “baseless” and “reprehensible.”
On the defense side, Advocate Mehmood Pracha represented journalists Neelu Vyas (of YouTube Channel The News Launcher) and Professor Akhil Swamy, both named defendants in the case.