The Delhi High Court has directed the immediate takedown of a controversial song associated with early works of Rappers Yo Yo Honey Singh and Badshah, released under the name “Mafia Mundheer (Volume 1),” from all digital platforms, holding that its content is grossly vulgar, obscene, and derogatory towards women and such material cannot be permitted to circulate on public platforms under the guise of artistic freedom or free speech.
The petition was filed seeking the removal of videos and audio of a song titled “Vol. 1” from various online platforms, along with directions to the Union of India to enforce the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
Upon examining the lyrics and content, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav observed that the material was “grossly vulgar, patently obscene, deeply derogatory towards women and wholly bereft of any redeeming artistic, literary or social value.” The Court remarked that:
“The lyrics, as placed on record, are not merely distasteful or offensive; they are ex facie misogynistic, dehumanising and calculated to normalise the treatment of women as objects of ridicule and sexual gratification.”
Taking strong exception, the Court remarked that the case was one where “the conscience of the Court is shocked to its absolute core,” underscoring the severity of the content placed on record.
The Court held that continued dissemination of such material on platforms accessible to persons of all ages, including minors, reflects a “complete disregard for the minimum standards of civility and decency expected in a Constitutional society.” It emphasised that such content cannot be justified under the protection of free speech.
Prima facie, the Court found that the content may attract penal provisions under Sections 79 and 296 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, relating to insulting the modesty of a woman and obscene acts and songs.
Accordingly, the Court issued interim directions requiring immediate removal of the impugned content and its variants across platforms. It directed the concerned parties and any persons claiming rights in the song to take down all URLs hosting the content, including remixes and derivative versions.
The Court further directed the blocking of identified URLs and permitted the petitioners to furnish additional links for removal. The Union of India was directed to act promptly on such submissions and coordinate with intermediaries for takedown.
The Court also allowed the petitioners to utilise the grievance redressal mechanisms of intermediaries to report further instances of the content online. Noting allegations that portions of the song were recently performed by Honey Singh at a public concert, the Court issued notice to the concerned private respondents. The matter has been listed for further hearing on May 7, 2026.
Appearances
Petitioners- Ms. Rupali Panwar, Mr. Avinash Kumar Singh, Mr. Akash Ranjan Srivastava, Mr. Shubham Gupta, Advocates.
Respondents- Mr. Ishkaran Singh Bhandari, CGSC with Mr. Piyush Yadav, Advocate for R-1. Ms. Mamta Rani Jha, Ms. Shruttima Ehersa, Ms. Aiswarya Debadarshini, Advocates for R-3.
