Ahmedabad court orders Congress to remove defamatory deep fake video of PM Modi & Gautam Adani

A court in Ahmedabad has directed the Congress party and four of its leaders to remove a deep fake video circulating on social media, which allegedly defames Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani. The video, shared on Congress' X handle on December 17, falsely depicted a conversation between Modi and Adani, with the caption “Modi-Adani Bhai Bhai, Desh Bechkar Khai Malai,” insinuating that the duo was selling off the country for personal gain.

In a ruling on December 18, Additional Civil Judge Shrikant Sharma ordered Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh, Supriya Shrinate, Pawan Khera, and Uday Bhanu Chib to remove the video from all platforms within 48 hours. The court also directed X Corp and Google, named as respondents in the case, to ensure the video’s removal within 72 hours, if the Congress leaders failed to comply.

The suit, filed by Adani Enterprises Limited, claims the video and its accompanying posts are defamatory and based on false allegations. The plea accuses the defendants of circulating a deep fake video that falsely imputes criminal activity, corruption, land grabbing, and other serious offenses against Adani. The company stated that the video undermines Adani's reputation and credibility, built over decades of business operations, and violates his fundamental right to reputation under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The court agreed, noting that the video contained "prima facie defamatory statements" that could harm the plaintiff’s reputation and public standing. It highlighted that malicious publications like this could cause irreversible damage, emphasising that reputation, once lost, cannot be restored.

Adani Enterprises also sought an injunction to prevent further circulation of similar defamatory content. The court issued show cause notices to the defendants, requiring them to respond by December 29, and warned that failure to comply could lead to further legal action under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021.

(With inputs from PTI)