Delhi High Court: Mukta Gupta, J., allowed the injunction application filed by the TV Today Network finding they have established prima facie case in their favour.
Present suit was preferred by a media conglomerate which transmits and broadcasts news etc. through print as well as electronic media.
By the instant suit, the plaintiff sought a decree of a permanent and mandatory injunction against defendant 1 restraining him from making the systematic attack on plaintiff’s reputation by making false and baseless tweets.
Defendant 1 levelled allegations against the plaintiff and one of its main anchors of having taken a sum of Rs 8 crores to interview a personality presently in news. It was also alleged that at the time of the birth of the said anchor itself, nurse concerned made obnoxious remarks and that the said anchor is involved in making fake news. The said anchor was also compared to a person, who is facing extradition proceedings.
High Court found that the plaintiff made out a prima facie case in its favour.
Bench stated that till the next date of hearing, defendant 1 is restrained from directly or indirectly publishing, re-publishing, sending or posting any tweet or information either in the electronic form or through the internet, email, social media or any print or communication media whatsoever, the statement or post which is derogatory/defamatory in its contents to the plaintiff or its top management or its anchors or its other office-bearers.
Defendant 2 has been directed to suspend/block the Twitter handles of defendant 1 and to file the basic subscription information of the account holder of the Twitter accounts impugned i.e. ‘@theanuragkts’ and ‘@theanuragoffice’ in the Court and supply a copy thereof to the learned counsel for the plaintiff as a password-protected document before the next date of hearing. [T.V. Today Network Ltd. v. Anurag Srivastava, 2020 SCC OnLine Del 1354, decided on 24-09-2020]