Vivek Oberoi evading proceedings after securing interim order in personality rights case: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court recently observed that actor Vivek Oberoi appeared to be evading further participation in his personality rights lawsuit after securing a favourable interim order from the Court [Vivek Anand Oberoi v Collector Bazar & Ors].

Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani made the observation while excluding two URLs on social media platform X from the scope of an ex parte interim injunction granted to Oberoi on February 5.

“A perusal of the record appears to show that having received a favourable order from this court on 05.02.2026, which order protects the plaintiff’s ‘personality rights’, the plaintiff is thereafter evading further participation in the present proceedings, especially in relation to what has been brought forth by defendant No.21 by way of the present application,” the Court said.

X Corp had moved an application seeking the exclusion of the two URLs from the scope of the February 5 injunction. X argued that the posts did not concern Oberoi’s personality rights and were innocuous expressions of free speech by a user on its platform.

Oberoi failed to file a reply to the application despite being granted time by the Court. On July 17, the Court had cautioned that it would presume that Oberoi did not oppose X Corp’s application if he failed to respond within seven days.

Oberoi’s counsel informed the Court that he had not received any communication or instructions from the actor and sought permission to withdraw from the case. The counsel said that the July 17 order had been communicated to Oberoi through email and speed post, including through his manager, but there was no response.

The Court consequently discharged the counsel and presumed that Oberoi had no objection to X Corp’s request.

It held that the two URLs had no relevance to Oberoi’s personality rights and directed that they be excluded from the operation of the February 5 order.

During the hearing, several defendants also accused Oberoi of misusing the Court’s process by including links unrelated to his personality rights in the interim injunction.

They alleged that the injunction was being used to prevent the dissemination of information concerning wrongdoing against thousands of investors by a company closely associated with Oberoi. The URLs, they claimed, concerned regular news reports.

The Court found their request for an early hearing justified and listed the interim injunction application for hearing on August 17. The defendants were granted one week to file their replies.

Since Oberoi was no longer represented, the Court appointed advocate Rohan J Alva as amicus curiae to ensure that the actor’s perspective did not go unrepresented. It also directed that the order be served on Oberoi through the principal district and sessions judge in Mumbai and the station house officer of the police station concerned.

Oberoi was represented by advocate Udayvir Rana.

X Corp was represented by advocates Ankit Parhar, Abhishek Kumar and Tanish Gupta.

[Read Order]