New Delhi, Dec 9,: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary to implead individuals who allegedly uploaded objectionable content against him on social media platforms, while advancing the hearing in his defamation suit to December 16.
Justice Amit Bansal allowed an application filed by Choudhary seeking preponement of the hearing, which was earlier scheduled for January 13, 2026. While granting the request, the Court observed that the matter would now be taken up on December 16.
During the proceedings, the Court also asked Meta Platforms to provide the internet protocol addresses and basic subscriber information of the uploaders to the plaintiff within three days. The Court said that Choudhary should take steps to implead the individuals responsible for uploading the content and serve advance copies to them.
Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayyar, appearing for Choudhary, urged the Court to order the removal of the alleged offending material. He submitted that viral videos circulating online had superimposed Choudhary’s image alongside a woman, giving the content a defamatory and objectionable character.
However, the Court declined to order an immediate takedown, stating that the uploaders must first be impleaded as parties. The Court also noted that a majority of the defendants appeared to be news channels.
Choudhary’s counsel informed the Court that the allegedly objectionable content, carrying sexual undertones and insinuations of a relationship, had been uploaded on social media platforms. It was further submitted that most of the impugned content dated back nearly two years and that many of the URLs related to publications by news agencies.
In its directions, the Court asked social media platforms, including Google LLC and Meta Platforms, to furnish details of the Facebook pages and YouTube channels that had uploaded the impugned content. The case is titled Surinder Kumar Choudhary v. Google LLC and others. [KNT]
