Delhi High Court Dismisses Anjali Birla's Defamation Case Against Social Media Posts

On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court dismissed a defamation lawsuit filed by Anjali Birla, daughter of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla. The case targeted social media platforms hosting posts that implicated her in clearing the UPSC exam through corrupt practices.

Justice Jyoti Singh's bench considered submissions from social media entity X, which reported that 12 out of 16 defamatory posts had been voluntarily removed by their creators, while the remainder had been restricted.

The court ordered the removal of the remaining posts and instructed X to delete any new defamatory content identified by Birla. Google was also directed to erase a previously blocked post. In July 2023, the court had mandated the removal of false posts claiming Anjali Birla relied on her father's influence to clear the UPSC exam.

The court also imposed restrictions on unidentified defendants, preventing them from making additional defamatory statements. Birla, an IRPS officer, initiated this legal action to expunge misleading social media posts linking her UPSC success to political favoritisms.

The suit argued that the baseless allegations intentionally sought to harm the plaintiff's credibility and unreasonably damage her professional reputation, supposedly to stir controversy against the government. Birla emphasized that the lawsuit was essential to protect her family's standing against slanderous and damaging narratives.

(With inputs from agencies.)