The Delhi High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by a journalist challenging an interim order directing her to take down a social media post in which she had accused a man of sexual harassment on a Delhi–Mumbai flight while also disclosing his photograph and workplace details.
A Division Bench of Justices Dinesh Mehta and Vinod Kumar upheld the earlier direction of the Single Judge requiring removal of the post from X (formerly Twitter) and restraining the journalist from publishing similar allegations pending further proceedings.
The Court affirmed the findings of the learned Single Judge, observing that an FIR had already been registered and the due process of law was being duly followed. It further held that the journalist acted prematurely in airing allegations on social media without first approaching the appropriate law enforcement authorities.
Concurring with these findings, the Division Bench observed that the appellant’s insistence on retaining the post indicated misuse of the Court’s jurisdiction. The Bench further noted that, particularly in light of the FIR having already been registered, the proceedings appeared to have degenerated into a “battle of ego” rather than a bona fide pursuit of redressal for the alleged sexual harassment.
Accordingly, the appeal was dismissed, and the interim directions of the Single Judge continue to operate.
Appearances:
For the Appellant: Advocates Arjun Dewan, Shaurya Mittal and Vanya Chhabra
For the Respondents: Senior Advocate Shyel Trehan with advocates Priyadarshini Dewan (From Cicero Firm), Shankari Mishra, Niti Khanna and Vidhi Jain
