The Delhi High Court has provided interim relief to BJP General Secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam in a defamation case. The court directed the Indian National Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and others to remove social media posts linking Gautam to the 2022 Ankita Bhandari murder case. Justice Mini Pushkarna’s single-judge Bench ordered the defendants to take down defamatory content within 24 hours from platforms like YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X.
The court specified that failure to comply with the directive would lead to social media intermediaries such as X, Meta Platforms, and Google LLC removing the content as per Information Technology Rules. Defendants in the suit include individuals like Urmila Sanawar, political parties, and social media intermediaries. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on May 4.
Gautam filed the suit seeking the removal of defamatory content and damages amounting to Rs 2 crore. He argued that his reputation suffered due to social media posts portraying him as the “VIP” associated with Ankita Bhandari’s murder. The court noted a prima facie case in favor of Gautam, emphasizing the need to prevent further circulation of damaging content.
Senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia, representing Gautam, highlighted the widespread circulation of defamatory material tarnishing Gautam’s reputation. The suit claims that fabricated posts and videos from December 24, 2025, falsely linked Gautam to a criminal case without any official accusations. The controversy stems from the murder of Ankita Bhandari in 2022, with Gautam maintaining no involvement in the case.
