The Delhi High Court on Thursday, September 10, directed the co-convenors of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, to remove social media posts that BJP national spokesperson and senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia has alleged are defamatory.
The direction came during the hearing of Bhatia’s ₹2-crore defamation suit against the CJP leaders. Das and Ranka agreed before the court to take down the posts, following which Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed that the material be removed within 24 hours.
The dispute centres on social media content that allegedly circulated a fabricated graphic carrying a statement attributed to Bhatia. According to Bhatia’s case, the statement was never made by him.
Court stresses responsible expression
During the hearing, Justice Gedela acknowledged that young people have the right to voice their opinions and protest. However, the court emphasised that such expression should be based on verification and presented responsibly.
The judge told lawyers representing the CJP leaders that criticism and protest could be expressed in different ways and cautioned against publishing claims without first checking their authenticity.
Justice Gedela also remarked that young people may have strong views and concerns, but those views should be communicated in a more considered and articulate manner.
The court’s observations came as lawyers for Das and Ranka confirmed that the disputed material would be removed. The court was subsequently informed that one of the posts had already been deleted.
However, the judge pointed out that another related post was still available and asked the CJP leaders’ lawyers to obtain instructions on whether the remaining content could also be taken down.
Bhatia declines mediation suggestion
Bhatia appeared before the court in person and did not agree to the suggestion that the dispute be sent for mediation.
He sought protection against the publication of further posts that he considers defamatory in connection with the controversy.
The lawyers representing Das and Ranka, however, clarified that their clients were not giving any undertaking preventing them from publishing future posts.
Justice Gedela said that Bhatia would remain free to approach the court if he had concerns about any subsequent social media content.
Summons issued to CJP and founder
The High Court also issued summons to Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, the Cockroach Janta Party and its founder Abhijeet Dipke in connection with the defamation proceedings.
During the hearing, the court orally noted that there appeared to be no material against Dipke in the allegations forming the basis of the suit.
Bhatia was also permitted to approach social media platforms, including X and Meta Platforms, if he discovers additional posts carrying the disputed graphic.
Dispute began with an allegedly fabricated quote
The legal dispute arose after posts by CJP and its leaders allegedly circulated a graphic containing a statement attributed to Bhatia.
Das later deleted one of the posts, saying it had been generated using AI. The post was published on September 5.
Bhatia subsequently sought an unconditional apology and approached the High Court with a ₹2-crore defamation claim.
His plea alleges that the social media activity went beyond legitimate criticism or disagreement. He has claimed that the CJP leaders presented statements to the public as having been made by him even though, according to Bhatia, he had never made those remarks.
The case therefore raises questions not only over the alleged defamatory content but also over the responsibility of social media users to verify material before publishing or amplifying it.
For now, the immediate direction from the High Court is clear: the posts identified during the proceedings are to be removed within 24 hours, while Bhatia’s broader defamation case will continue before the court.
