On July 15, the Delhi High Court ordered the removal of articles and YouTube videos that falsely claimed journalist Dhanya Rajendran and several digital news publications were "agents" of billionaire George Soros. Justice Vikas Mahajan deemed these allegations "defamatory and libelous," noting they were made recklessly and lacked credible evidence. The court found no public record or credible sources supporting the claims, and thus directed Kerala-based media outlets The Karma News and Janam TV, as well as the Malayalam newspaper Janmabhumi, to remove the content within ten days.
DigiPub, an association of over 100 digital media organizations and independent journalists including notable figures like Barkha Dutt and Ravish Kumar, was also targeted. The accused posts suggested Rajendran and DigiPub received funds from Soros, implying illegal activities that could undermine India's integrity and security. Rajendran and DigiPub denied these claims and pursued legal action for defamation.
Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao, representing Rajendran and DigiPub, argued that the defendant publications were intentionally spreading misinformation to harm the plaintiffs' reputation. He presented DigiPub's financial records to demonstrate that their revenue comes solely from membership fees, with minimal foreign exchange income. Justice Mahajan concurred with these arguments and issued the takedown order. Advocates Aashna Chawla, Shreya Singhal, Panveer Oberoi, Mhasilendo Keditsu, Bani Dikshit, Nipun Katyal, and Udhav Khanna assisted in the case, while Advocate Aditya Gupta represented Google.
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