Delhi HC orders Google, X Corp to remove content, posts against Om Birla’s daughter

New Delhi [India], July 23 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed Google Inc. and X Corp (formerly known as Twitter) to remove posts or content that falsely allege that Om Birla’s daughter, Anjali Birla, passed UPSC exams on her first attempt due to her father’s influence.

The bench of Justice Navin Chawla issued an interim order directing the removal of the mentioned posts/content within 24 hours. Additionally, the court has restrained unidentified defendants from making any defamatory allegations in relation to the matter.

Anjali Birla, who is an IRPS officer and the daughter of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, has filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court. She sought the removal of social media posts that falsely allege she passed UPSC exams on her first attempt due to her father’s influence.

Senior Advocate Rajiv Nayar appeared for the plaintiff and highlighted that various social media posts are spreading misleading and false information about her, which are defamatory in nature.

The suit stated that the false and baseless allegations being disseminated in a brazen manner indicate clear intentions to unlawfully damage plaintiff’s reputation and standing through defamatory narratives. Based on this assertion alone, the plaintiff believes that the current lawsuit should succeed on its merits.

Suit further stated that several individuals are attempting to completely destroy Plaintiff’s professional reputation without any basis in truth or evidence, solely for the purpose of creating controversies against the present government, particularly targeting the plaintiff herself.

It is further stated that this lawsuit is also being brought to prevent the defendants from misusing and tarnishing the reputation of the plaintiff and her family members, including her father, Om Birla, who is the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha of India. The plaintiff contends that there is a deliberate intention to spread false and disparaging information, which could harm their reputations.

Anjali Birla through a representative, has recently filed a complaint before the Inspector General of Police, Cyber Cell, Maharashtra, against several twitter account holders and others, known and unknown, for commission of offences punishable under sections 61, 78, 318, 351, 352, 356 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (hereinafter referred to as BNS) along with Sec.66(C) of Information Technology Act, 2000 as amended 2008.

On the basis of the complaint, an FIR was also registered on July 5, 2024, under sections 78, 79, 318(2), 352, 356(2), 353(2) and 3(5) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, 2023, along with section 66 (C) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, as amended 2008, against X Corp and others by Cyber Cell, Maharashtra.