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Synopsis

The Bombay High Court on Thursday granted time to the Serum Institute of India and its Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director Adar Poonawalla to file their rejoinder to the reply filed by Defendant No.3 in interim application seeking direction to restrain from posting defamatory contents against the Serum Institute and Adar Poonawalla on social media.
 
The bench of Justice N. J. Jamadar was hearing the defamation suit and listed the matter for hearing on January 3, 2023.
 
Rs. 100 Crores defamation suit filed by the Serum Institute of India and Adar Poonawalla has sought a permanent and mandatory injunction against the individuals and their social media channels restraining them from making, posting publishing, reproducing, circulating, communicating, uploading defamatory and derogatory statements/posts/articles/ videos against the Serum Institute and Adar Poonawalla which are completely false, erroneous, derogatory and defamatory in nature.
 
It has been alleged that one Yohan Tengra who claims to be a social media influencer running his YouTube Channel, 'Anarchy for Freedom of India', Ambar Koiri who appeared in the defamatory videos, and others have been involved in creating and posting defamatory content against the Serum Institute and Adar Poonawalla.
 
The plea submitted that "the defendants are attempting to create hatred in the minds of the public against the Plaintiffs and also inciting public violence against the Plaintiffs and the defamatory contents have been uploaded and published with the sole intent of lowering and damaging the Plaintiffs’ reputation and goodwill.

The plea also submitted that “the Defendants have therefore engaged in cheap publicity in collusion and connivance with each other and are publishing/ uploading parallel private 'investigations' and effectively acting as 'courts' to condemn the Plaintiffs thereby trying to make a mockery of the judicial system”.
 
The contents are very offensive and extremely derogatory and the same has been published with the intention to dent the reputation of the Plaintiffs which they have worked hard to create, establish, and flourish over the past 55 years, the plea alleged. 
 
Case Title: Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd & Anr Vs. Yohan Tengra & Ors.