In a significant relief for film-maker Karan Johar, a Mumbai Sessions court on Monday restrained YouTuber Ajey Nagar, better known as CarryMinati, talent manager Deepak Char and others from publishing or circulating allegedly defamatory content against him on social media platforms.
The order was passed by the court of Principal Sessions Judge PG Bhonsale while hearing a civil suit filed by Johar through Apoorva Mehta, CEO of Dharma Productions.
ALLEGATIONS OF VULGAR AND ABUSIVE CONTENT
Advocates Pradeep Gandhi and Parag Khandar, appearing for Johar, told the court that the social media influencers had made defamatory statements in videos uploaded on YouTube.
“The statements are so vulgar and abusive that they immediately needs to be taken down,” Gandhi argued, urging the court to intervene without delay.
The suit claimed that the content not only harmed Johar’s reputation but continued to circulate widely across platforms.
DEFENCE SAYS VIDEOS ALREADY REMOVED
Advocates Vikas Khera and Amit Kukreja, representing Nagar, countered that the videos in question had already been taken down. They argued that once the content had been removed, there was no surviving cause for Johar to approach the court.
However, Gandhi responded that the matter did not end with the removal of the original uploads.
“Though the defendant no.1 Nagar has taken down the defamatory videos, these videos are viewed by millions of people and unknown persons are making reels of it and again circulating it in the social media,” he submitted, pressing for ad-interim ex-parte orders against all the social media influencers involved.
COURT FINDS PRIMA FACIE CASE
After hearing both sides, Judge Bhonsale observed that, prima facie, Nagar and Char had made defamatory statements and used vulgar language against Johar.
“These videos need to be taken down immediately. There should be an injunction against all those who circulate and re-circulate these videos on the social media platform. This is a fit case to pass ad-interim injunction orders against the defendants,” the court held.
The court granted a temporary restraint against the content creators and others, including unnamed John Doe defendants, from posting or circulating any further defamatory material against Johar until his application for interim relief is finally decided.
It also directed Meta Platforms to take down the video links containing the alleged defamatory content.
The matter will now be taken up when the court hears Johar’s plea for interim relief in detail.
