Madhya Pradesh HC Issues Interim Order for Swift Removal of Defamatory Content Against Dhirendra Shastri

The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently passed an interim order directing both print media and social media platforms to expeditiously remove any derogatory content against the spiritual leader Aacharya Shri Dhirendra Krishna Shastri.

Justice Sanjay Dwivedi emphasized the importance of adhering to journalistic conduct when disseminating information related to Aacharya Shri Dhirendra Krishna Shastri.

In the interim ordrer, the Court mandated that, before publishing, displaying, or posting any news or tidings concerning Aacharya Shri Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, media entities must verify the accuracy of such information with the concerned individual.

The Court highlighted that this verification process should assess whether the news or tidings are disgraceful to the image of the spiritual leader, in accordance with the norms specified in the (Information Technology) Rules, 2021.

The Court further ordered the immediate deletion of posts already published in electronic media that tarnished the image of Aacharya Shastri.

This legal action stemmed from a petition filed by Ranjit Singh Patel, who alleged the circulation of defamatory posts about Aacharya Shastri on social media platforms.

Ranjit Singh Patel contended that these posts, both online and in print media, were damaging the reputation of Aacharya Shri Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, who serves as the Peethadheeshwar (Chief Priest) of Shri Bageshwar Dham in Chhatarpur.

The petitioner’s counsel provided specific instances of derogatory posts and news articles, arguing that they directly attacked the religious reverence of the spiritual leader and caused distress among Acharya’s followers.

The petitioner asserted that media platforms should have verified the authenticity of such news before dissemination.

The Court was informed that some posts were published at the instigation of a former MLA named Prajapati, who was reportedly dissatisfied with the spiritual leader’s prodigy.

The petitioner’s counsel alleged that Prajapati collaborated with media outlets to intentionally damage Aacharya Shastri’s reputation by sharing objectionable and baseless posts.

After considering these submissions, the Court granted interim relief to Aacharya Shastri by instructing the removal of derogatory posts.

The Court underscored the necessity for local media channels and social media platforms to verify the veracity of news or posts and determine whether they are disgraceful to the leader’s image, in accordance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

The Court has scheduled the next hearing for January 2024.