Aaradhya Bachchan seeks quick summary judgment from Delhi HC over online misinformation

The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice on an application seeking summary judgment in a suit filed in 2023 by Aaradhya Bachchan, the grand-daughter of actor Amitabh Bachchan, as per media reports.

The suit was initiated in response to the circulation of misleading information and manipulated images about the young Bachchan on various internet platforms.

Justice Mini Pushkarna directed the notice to be served to defendants including Google, Bollywood Time, and several other websites.

Aaradhya's counsel, Advocate Pravin Anand, argued that the defendants had failed to appear in court, effectively nullifying their right to defend.

The application was submitted under the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) as a summary judgment, a procedure that allows courts to promptly decide civil cases without the need for extensive oral evidence, the report added.

The legal action follows an earlier filing by Aaradhya, through her father Abhishek Bachchan, aimed at restraining various YouTube channels and unidentified John Doe defendants from circulating videos that falsely claimed the child was severely unwell and had been admitted to a hospital.

One such video went as far as alleging that she had passed away.

These videos, which also morphed images, were claimed to infringe upon Aaradhya's right to privacy and the intellectual property rights of the Bachchan family.

Previously, the Court had granted an interim injunction in favour of Aaradhya, ordering an immediate takedown of the contentious material.

Reflecting on the broader implications of the case, Justice C Hari Shankar said, "Every child is entitled to be treated with honour and respect, be she the child of a celebrity or the child of a commoner. Dissemination of misleading information relating to a child, especially as regards her physical or mental wellbeing, is something which is completely intolerable in law. No technicalities can come in the way of the Court stepping in, where such attempts are brought to its notice.

The case, which has remained pending since its inception, is set for the next hearing on March 17.