BJP national spokesperson and senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia has approached the Delhi High Court with a ₹2 crore civil defamation suit against the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and its leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka.
Bhatia has sought damages of ₹2 crore besides an injunction restraining the defendants from publishing or circulating material allegedly defamatory of him. The suit is expected to come up before the Delhi High Court on Wednesday.
The litigation arises from a social media controversy involving an allegedly AI-generated graphic concerning Bhatia. According to the reports, Das had shared a graphic attributing to Bhatia a statement describing social media activist Swatantra Bhardwaj as a “dimagi naxal”.
Bhatia has disputed having made such a statement and has characterised the content as false and defamatory. The disputed material was subsequently removed, according to reports, although the controversy continued on social media, with responses and comments from members of the CJP.
The suit names CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke and co-convenors Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka as defendants, along with the CJP itself. Bhatia has alleged that the publication and dissemination of the disputed material caused harm to his reputation and seeks judicial restraint against any further circulation of allegedly defamatory content.
The dispute comes amid heightened exchanges between Bhatia and members of the CJP over the recent controversy surrounding the alleged assault of the father of a Jantar Mantar protester. The CJP had publicly demanded action against Bhardwaj in that matter, adding to the political and social-media confrontation surrounding the parties.
The present proceedings, however, concern the alleged publication of defamatory material and the reputational harm claimed by Bhatia. The allegations contained in the suit remain to be adjudicated by the Delhi High Court.
The case also brings into focus the increasingly complex legal questions arising from AI-generated or digitally manipulated content circulated through social-media platforms. Where such material falsely attributes statements to an individual, questions may arise regarding publication, attribution, intermediary responsibility and the remedies available to a person claiming injury to reputation.
Bhatia has sought monetary compensation as well as injunctive relief against the defendants. The Delhi High Court’s consideration of the matter will determine the next procedural course of the suit and whether any interim protection is warranted.
The defendants’ position will be considered by the Court as the proceedings progress. The filing of the suit, by itself, does not constitute a judicial finding that the alleged statements were defamatory or that the defendants are liable for the damages claimed.
The matter is expected to come before the Delhi High Court on Wednesday for its initial consideration.
The post Gaurav Bhatia moves Delhi High Court with ₹2 Crore defamation suit against CJP leaders appeared first on India Legal.