Video: Bombay High Court Accepted Prima Facie Evidence In Nitin Gadkari's Defamation Case, Says Advocate Sandeep Ladda

Mumbai: Following the Bombay High Court's order directing social media platforms to take down all defamatory content related to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and the E20 ethanol-blended petrol, Advocate Sandeep S. Ladda, who is representing Gadkari, said on Wednesday that the court accepted the prima facie evidence presented and questioned Meta and other platforms over the absence of an effective mechanism to curb such content.

Advocate explains court proceedings

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Ladda said, "A hearing took place regarding the lawsuit filed by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. Lawyers representing Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, and X Corp (formerly Twitter), appeared before the court."

Elaborating on the proceedings, Ladda said he explained to the court the nature of the defamatory content related to the E20 ethanol-blending policy and how it targeted Gadkari.

"We pointed out that social media platforms are being misused with alarming ease to damage reputations, while there is no adequate system in place to prevent such misuse," he added.

Court orders content removal

After examining the submissions, the court observed that the E20-related content appeared, prima facie, to be deepfake and defamatory. It directed the platforms to immediately remove the content and provide details of the individuals who uploaded it.

"The court also directed the removal of any similar content uploaded after the filing of the lawsuit. Additionally, it granted us liberty to approach the court for further relief if such content is uploaded in the future or if the platforms fail to comply with its directions," Ladda said.

Interim relief granted

Moreover, the Bombay High Court earlier in the day granted interim relief to Gadkari by directing social media platforms and intermediaries to remove defamatory, abusive and deepfake content targeting him. The court observed that the posts were "vile, abusive, obscene and defamatory" and had no place on public platforms.

According to reports, Justice Arif Doctor passed the order while hearing Gadkari's suit seeking the removal of fake and defamatory content allegedly linking him and his family to the Centre's E20 ethanol-blending programme.

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