Madras High Court restrains Food Pharmer from disparaging food items of 'eZeEats Triguni'

The Madras High Court recently granted a permanent injunction, restraining the health influencer Revant Himatsingka, who goes by the name Food Pharmer on social media, from making disparaging comments against 'eZeEats Triguni’ [Triguni Food Private Limited vs. Revant Himatsingka & Ors]..Triguni Food Private Limited had taken objection to two videos posted by Himatsingka on social media platforms ‘X’ and Instagram, in which he claimed that the ready-to-eat food served in Indigo Airlines under Triguni’s brand has high sodium content. This led to a ₹10 lakh defamation suit by Triguni seeking a permanent injunction and takedown of the videos and articles published by Himatsingka in this regard. .Justice Abdul Quddhose on January 31 passed the injunction on the basis of a settlement under which Himatsingka said he was agreeable to the injunction as long as it does not affect his right to freedom of speech.“No prejudice would be caused to any of the parties, if it is made clear by this Court that the relief that is granted to the plaintiff in the suit pursuant to the settlement is restricted only to the subject matter of the suit and it cannot curtail the freedom of speech of the 1st defendant in the future. Accordingly, the suit is partly decreed as prayed for by the plaintiff insofar as the prayer (a) to paragraph No.53 of the plaint is concerned and insofar as the remaining prayers are concerned, the same is disallowed by this Court and accordingly the same are dismissed,” the Court ordered. .The Court also clarified that the grant of permanent injunction shall not affect Himatsingka’s freedom of speech. “It is made clear that the partial decree granted by this Court in this suit will not affect the freedom of speech of the 1st defendant in the future,” the Court stated. Pertinently, Himatsingka refused to agree to take down the videos..In an order passed in 2024, the Court had taken note of the defamatory remarks against Triguni's packaged food..The Court had then observed then that on the face of it, there was nothing untoward in Himatsingka's remarks."Prima facie, while there is nothing untoward in setting out the nutritional values of the dishes, seeing as they are admitted, the portrayal of the dish as ‘unhealthy’ upon a comparison with Maggi noodles, does not appear to have any basis apart from the sole aspect of sodium content.".Triguni is a supplier of food products to various entities including IndiGo Airlines, Star Air, Vande Bharath, Parveen Travels as well as many businesses in the retail market and e-commerce. In the suit, major media and publishing houses like the Times Internet Limited, Network18 Media, Outlook and HT Media were made parties, seeking directions to remove the articles from their websites. Directions seeking takedown of the videos were sought against Meta Inc. and X Corp as well. .Advocate Arun C Mohan appeared for TriguniAdvocate Nakul Gandhi appeared for Himatsingka.Advocate Prasanth Rajagopal appeared for Times Internet Limited.Advocate Vivekanandh Venkatesh Appeared for Living Media Limited.Advocate Dwarakesh Prabhakaran appeared for Network 18 Media and Investments Limited.[Read Order]