The Delhi High Court on Tuesday concluded proceedings in a defamation lawsuit filed by Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS) officer Anjali Birla, daughter of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, against objectionable social media posts. The suit was filed against X Corp (formerly Twitter), Google, and unknown individuals for circulating defamatory content targeting her reputation.
Justice Jyoti Singh ruled in favor of Anjali Birla, directing the removal of social media posts that alleged she had cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam and became an IAS officer due to her father’s influence. Anjali Birla had clarified that she appeared for the UPSC Civil Services Exam, was selected in the consolidated reserve list of 2019, and subsequently joined the Indian Railways as an IRPS officer in 2021.
The court referred to its interim order from July last year, which had mandated X Corp and Google to take down the objectionable posts and restrained unknown parties from further circulating defamatory content. During Tuesday’s hearing, counsel for X Corp confirmed that 12 out of 16 offending posts were removed by their originators, while the remaining four were blocked by the social media platform following the court’s directive.
The court ordered X Corp to remove the remaining four posts and emphasized that any future identical posts brought to their notice by Anjali Birla must also be removed promptly. The court also observed that the posts appeared to have been shared without proper verification and noted that the social media campaign resurfaced in 2024 despite similar allegations having died down after investigations by media houses in 2021.
Anjali Birla’s counsel argued that the defamatory posts were reckless attempts to tarnish her reputation and those of her family, including her father, a prominent political figure holding a constitutional office. The counsel highlighted that the recent resurgence of these posts coincided with controversies around the NEET and UPSC exams and included misrepresentations such as sharing private pictures to portray her as a model.
Additionally, Anjali Birla has lodged a complaint with the cyber crime department concerning the defamatory posts.
The court’s decision marks an important step in curbing the spread of unverified and defamatory content on social media platforms targeting public figures and their families.
Sources By Agencies
