The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued strong directions to activists associated with the Congress Janhit Parishad (CJP), ordering them to remove two AI-generated social media posts that allegedly defamed BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatiya. The court also issued summons to three key CJP figures and directed social media platforms Meta and X to take action against any repeated publication of such content.
The hearing took place on Bhatiya's defamation petition, which challenged the circulation of artificially generated images and posts on social media that portrayed him in a derogatory manner. During the proceedings, CJP spokespersons Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka appeared before the court and expressed willingness to comply with the court's concerns. They agreed that the two impugned posts would be taken down within 24 hours of the order.
In addition to directing the removal of the posts, the Delhi High Court has issued formal summons to CJP founder Abhijeet Deepke, along with Das and Ranka, requiring them to appear before the court in connection with the matter. The court's order reflects growing judicial concern over the misuse of artificial intelligence tools to create and spread defamatory content targeting public figures.
The court also issued specific directions to Meta and X, stating that if identical or substantially similar copies of the impugned posts are uploaded again and Bhatiya files a complaint, the platforms will be held accountable and compelled to remove the content. Legal experts say this signals a shift in how Indian courts are approaching AI-generated disinformation, treating platforms as stakeholders with enforcement responsibilities rather than mere conduits.
The case has drawn attention to the rising problem of AI-craftedfake content being used in India's political landscape. With election cycles approaching across several states, legal authorities and rights groups have warned that AI-generated defamatory material poses a unique challenge — it can be produced rapidly, spread virally, and cause reputational damage long before it is debunked or removed.
