Delhi HC directs Facebook, Google, Youtube to take down Videos making allegations against Baba Ramdev

The Delhi High court recently directed social media giants Facebook, Google and YouTube to take down/block videos and other content that allegedly contain “slanderous, defamatory and absolutely false statements” about Patanjali Ayurved founder Baba Ramdev.

The ex-parte ad interim injunction against these online platforms was passed in a suit filed by Baba Ramdev and Patanjali against one of its former employees who had been using social media to upload, disseminate and share videos in an allegedly ‘nefarious campaign’ to malign their reputation.

The Plaintiffs moved the High Court after the request to take down the objectionable video was rejected by the Facebook and YouTube in the absence of a court order.

The Bench of Justice JR Midha further directed the former employee to refrain from giving interviews on the subject to print, electronic, social media or any other mode of circulation till the next date of hearing.

The defendant, through these videos, has made several claims against Baba Ramdev, including an allegation that he was responsible for the death of his close aide Rajiv Dixit.

The videos also made an allegation that Baba Ramdev was responsible for the disappearance of Patanjali Yogpeeth co-founder, Swami Shankar Dev.

The videos also accused Patanjali of rampant adulteration in its products.

It is Plaintiff’s stand that these videos are nothing more than a hoax and are not based on any evidence.

Counsel appearing for Patanjali, Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayyar argued that Facebook, YouTube and Google should have a fair mechanism to take down slanderous and malicious content from their platform upon receipt of a complaint rather than to wait for a direction from a Court in this regard.

By the time an aggrieved party approaches the court for relief, enough irreversible damage is already done by the objectionable content, Nayyar submitted.

In case such a mechanism cannot be evolved by the platform providers, they should be barred from uploading videos, it was further argued.

Rajiv Nayyar was briefed by a team from Athena Legal comprising Simranjeet Singh, Rohan Ahuja, Siddharth Mahajan, Sonali Dhir and Mahima Deepak. 

Read order below.

Image taken from here.