India News | Delhi HC Directs Removal of Instagram Posts Alleging Sexual Misconduct Against National Basketball Player
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. The Delhi High Court on Friday granted interim relief to professional basketball player Kushal Singh in a defamation suit over a series of social media posts made against him on Instagram.
New Delhi [India], August 1 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Friday granted interim relief to professional basketball player Kushal Singh in a defamation suit over a series of social media posts made against him on Instagram.
Justice Sachin Datta directed Defendant No. 1 to immediately take down all allegedly defamatory Instagram posts, reels, story highlights, captions, comments and other related content published on her Instagram account or any other account operated or controlled by her, insofar as the content falsely accuses or imputes acts of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct or similar conduct to the plaintiff.
Also Read | Madhya Pradesh Horror: Woman Gang-Raped and Fiancee Thrashed in Guna District; SIT Formed To Hunt Suspects.
The Court also clarified that if the defendant fails to remove the content, the plaintiff would be at liberty to approach Defendant No. 2 (Instagram/Meta), which would then be required to ensure compliance with the Court's directions.
The plaintiff has also been directed to comply with the requirements under Order XXXIX Rule 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure within one week.
According to the plaint, Kushal Singh is a professional Indian basketball player and a member of the senior Indian National Basketball Team. He has represented India in several international tournaments, including the FIBA U16 Asian Championship 2022.
The suit alleges that beginning in July 2026, Defendant No. 1, a private individual residing in Singapore, started a sustained campaign on Instagram by publishing multiple posts, reels and stories containing false and defamatory allegations against the player. The plaintiff claimed that these posts attracted thousands of views and caused serious damage to his reputation.
The plaintiff contended that the posts falsely accused him of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment and predatory behaviour towards minors. It was argued that the allegations were entirely false and that the content was defamatory on its face.
Senior counsel appearing for the plaintiff further submitted that the campaign was continuous in nature, with fresh reels and stories being uploaded regularly to malign the plaintiff's image.
It was also argued that the defendant had encouraged her followers to tag basketball agencies so that the allegations would reach a wider audience and further damage the plaintiff's professional standing. The plaintiff also identified multiple Instagram reel URLs and story media IDs containing the alleged defamatory content.
After considering the submissions and the material placed before it, the High Court passed an interim direction requiring the immediate removal of the impugned content pending further proceedings.
Apart from granting interim relief, the Court issued summons in the suit and directed the defendants to file their written statement within 30 days of receiving the summons, along with an affidavit admitting or denying the plaintiff's documents. The plaintiff has been permitted to file a replication within 30 days thereafter.
The matter has been listed before the Joint Registrar (Judicial) on September 17, 2026, for completion of service, pleadings, admission and denial of documents and marking of exhibits, while the suit and interim application will next be heard by the Court on January 13, 2027. (ANI)
(The above story is verified and authored by ANI staff, ANI is South Asia's leading multimedia news agency with over 100 bureaus in India, South Asia and across the globe. ANI brings the latest news on Politics and Current Affairs in India & around the World, Sports, Health, Fitness, Entertainment, & News. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)