The Delhi High Court has granted an ex parte ad-interim injunction in favour of actor and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Ravi Kishan, restraining multiple entities from unauthorised commercial exploitation of his name, image, voice, and other personality attributes — including through Artificial Intelligence (AI), deepfake technology, and other digital tools. The order was passed on 6 July by a single-judge Bench of Justice Jyoti Singh in a commercial suit filed by Ravi Kishan, also known as Ravindra Shukla.

What the Suit Alleged

The suit named several defendants, including social media accounts, websites, domain name registrars, intermediaries, and unidentified 'John Doe' entities allegedly involved in the unauthorised use of his persona. The plaintiff alleged widespread misuse through AI-generated content, vulgar and obscene videos, fabricated statements circulated on social media, and pornographic content falsely associated with him.

Several websites were allegedly using Ravi Kishan's name in connection with sexually explicit material, while social media accounts had reportedly uploaded fabricated and offensive content that tarnished his image and reputation.

What the Court Observed

Justice Singh noted that Ravi Kishan is a renowned actor with a career spanning over three decades, having starred in more than 750 films across multiple languages, and that his commercial identity is intrinsically linked with his name, image, likeness, voice, and signature catchphrases.

'Plaintiff has made out a prima facie case for grant of ex parte ad-interim injunction. Balance of convenience lies in favour of the Plaintiff and he is likely to suffer irreparable harm in case interim injunction is not granted,' the court stated in its order.

The court further held that personality rights are judicially recognised and deserve legal protection, particularly where unauthorised use results in commercial detriment, invasion of privacy, and injury to a person's dignity.

Scope of the Injunction

The Delhi High Court restrained the defendants and all parties acting on their behalf from using or exploiting Ravi Kishan's name, image, likeness, or any other identifiable aspect of his persona for commercial or personal gain through any technology — including Generative AI, Machine Learning, and deepfakes — across physical, virtual, and social media platforms.

The court also directed identified defendants and domain name registrars to take down infringing URLs listed in the order within three days of receiving a copy. Intermediaries including Meta, Google, and X Corp. were directed to remove identified content within 72 hours upon being notified by the plaintiff if the concerned defendants failed to comply.

Next Hearing and Broader Trend

The matter has been listed before the Joint Registrar on 13 August for completion of pleadings and before the Delhi High Court on 16 October for further hearing.

This case adds to a growing body of personality rights litigation before the Delhi High Court. In recent months, public figures including former cricketer and current head coach Gautam Gambhir, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, actors Arjun Kapoor, Allu Arjun, Nagarjuna, Varun Dhawan, Kajol, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Abhishek Bachchan, singer Jubin Nautiyal, filmmaker Karan Johar, podcaster Raj Shamani, and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor have secured or sought court protection against unauthorised use of their identity or AI-generated imitations. The Ravi Kishan ruling signals that courts are increasingly willing to act swiftly and broadly when AI-enabled misuse of a public figure's persona is alleged.