Six Videos Deemed "Prima Facie Defamatory"; Uploaders Restrained from Posting Further Content
Mumbai, May 12 – The Bombay High Court has directed removing six YouTube videos targeting Maharashtra Water Resources Minister and senior BJP leader Girish Mahajan, deeming them "prima facie defamatory" in nature.Justice Arif Doctor, presiding over the matter, passed the order on May 8 after reviewing the videos' and transcripts' content. The court concluded that the statements made in the videos were defamatory and warranted interim relief.
The court ordered the immediate deletion of the six videos and issued an injunction restraining the accused from posting or uploading any further content that could be defamatory toward Mahajan.
Defamation Suit Filed by Mahajan
The order came in response to a defamation suit filed by Girish Mahajan against two individuals—YouTuber and journalist Anil Thatte and Shyam Giri. Mahajan claimed that both had made false and baseless allegations against him in videos uploaded on their respective YouTube channels.The five videos uploaded on the channel "Anil Gaganbhedi Thatte", operated by Anil Thatte, and one video on "Mudda Bharat Ka", run by Shyam Giri, allegedly contained defamatory content about Mahajan’s conduct with a female IAS officer.
Mahajan’s legal counsel, Senior Advocate Ravi Kadam, argued that the statements in question were false, reckless, and damaging to his client’s reputation.
Further Hearing Scheduled for June
The bench has scheduled the next hearing in the case for June 20, allowing both parties to present their arguments further.This interim relief reinforces the growing legal scrutiny on digital platforms and the accountability of content creators in maintaining ethical standards and factual integrity online.
