The Delhi High Court criticised actor Richa Chadha and several media outlets for amplifying unverified allegations of sexual misconduct against a man, terming such conduct as digital vigilantism.

Justice Vikas Mahajan, hearing a defamation suit filed by a professional associated with PricewaterhouseCoopers, observed that endorsement of unverified claims particularly by public figures can cause serious reputational harm and goes beyond free speech.

The Court also criticised the complainant journalist for posting allegations on X before initiating legal action, and pulled up media houses for sensationalising the claims without verification, noting this undermines the presumption of innocence.

The Court has directed removal of defamatory content and restrained further publication of similar allegations till the next hearing.

Appearances:

For the Plaintiff: Ms. Shyel Trehan, Sr. Adv. with Ms. Priyadarshini Dewan, Mr. Shankari Mishra, Ms. Niti Khanna, Ms. Vidhi Jain and Mr. Rohan Poddar, Advs

For the Defendants: Ms. Vanya Chhabra, Adv. for D-1; Mr. Madhav Khuranna, Sr. Adv. with Mr. Aman Raj Gandhi, Ms. Saloni Kumar, Mr. Chattanya Sharma, Mr. Amit Badesra and Mr. Lakshay Shehrawat, Advs. for D-7