Delhi High Court Orders Removal of Defamatory Posts Linking Himayani Puri to Epstein
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New Delhi, March 17 (NationPress) Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani stated on Tuesday that the Delhi High Court's order to remove social media posts associating Himayani Puri, daughter of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, with the infamous American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, serves as a vindication against a malicious campaign aimed at damaging her reputation.
The Delhi High Court granted interim protection to Himayani Puri, instructing social media platforms such as X, Google, YouTube, Meta, and LinkedIn, along with unnamed “John Doe” entities, to eliminate defamatory posts and URLs within a 24-hour timeframe.
Advocate Jethmalani, who is representing Himayani Puri, emphasized that the court's ruling confirms that the online claims were part of an unfounded and harmful effort to besmirch her character.
“I wouldn't categorize this as merely relief; it's a vindication. There is an ongoing scurrilous campaign against someone who is entirely unrelated to the allegations being propagated,” he informed the media.
“The Delhi High Court has mandated that all URLs containing defamatory content linking her to Jeffrey Epstein must be removed within 24 hours,” he added.
Justice Mini Pushkarna issued this directive while reviewing a defamation lawsuit filed by Himayani Puri, who sought the removal of content falsely connecting her to Epstein or his criminal activities.
The petition pointed out that numerous online posts inaccurately claimed she had financial or social ties with Epstein, allegations she firmly deemed baseless and harmful.
The lawsuit requested that intermediaries like Google, X, Meta, and LinkedIn eliminate these posts and ensure that similar defamatory content is removed when reported.
In addition to the removal of the content, Puri is also pursuing ₹10 crore in damages and a permanent injunction to prevent the defendants from disseminating or circulating any material linking her to Epstein.
The High Court has granted immediate relief by ordering the prompt elimination of the contested posts while the case is under review.
The defamation case is anticipated to be further discussed in court on Wednesday.