Read Time: 05 minutes
“Till now more than 9 lakhs views have already been garnered on the said video and more than 13,500 comments have been received. What is more interesting is that the title of the video is “Sadhguru EXPOSED: What’s happening in Jaggi Vasudev’s Ashram?”. In the view of this Court, the title is a clickbait and this Court is prima facie of the opinion that the said title has been given only to attract attention”, the court outlined.
The Delhi High Court, on Wednesday, restrained Youtuber Shyam Meera Singh from utilizing any media outlet and/or social media platforms to make libelous, misleading, and disparaging allegations against Isha Foundation. The court further directed YouTube to takedown the video titled; Sadhguru EXPOSED: What’s happening in Jaggi Vasudev’s Ashram?
The bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad held, “Continuous circulation of the video is likely to cause harm to the Plaintiff/Trust’s reputation and as stated that more than 09 lakhs views and more than 13500 comments have already been reported. If the video is not taken down immediately, the Plaintiff/Trust will suffer loss of reputation which cannot be compensated monetarily”.
Isha Foundation sought directions for the removal of specific video content and related posts from various platforms, asserting that the material constituted a false and motivated propaganda campaign. Senior Advocate Manik Dogra, representing Isha Foundation, asserted that the trust's reputation was unjustly maligned.
Upon reviewing the video and transcripts, the court found that the video contained defamatory material that directly impacted the trust's public image.
Further, the court underscored the necessity of balancing freedom of speech with the right to reputation, which is protected under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The court highlighted that “reputation is an integral part of the dignity of each individual and there is a need to balance between freedom of speech and freedom of expression vis-a-vis the right to reputation which has been considered as a part of the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India".
Upon scrutiny, the court opined that "The video does have a direct impact on the reputation of the founder of the Plaintiff/Trust”. Additionally, given the rapid circulation of the video with over nine lakh views and substantial public engagement, the court held that continued dissemination could cause irreparable harm to the Plaintiff’s reputation.
The court stated, “If the video is not taken down immediately, the Plaintiff/Trust will suffer loss of reputation which cannot be compensated monetarily. Balance of convenience also lies in restraining the Defendant No.4 to upload the very same video at any of the social media platforms”.
The court, therefore, granted relief in favor of the Isha Foundation and listed the matter for further consideration on May 9, 2025.
For Plaintiff: Senior Advocate Manik Dogra with Advocates Simranjeet Singh, Gautam Talukdar, Pushpaveni Kakkaje, Rohit Gandhi, Rishabh Pant and Yajat GuliaFor Defendant: Advocates Asavari Jain and Aditya GuptaCase Title: Isha Foundation v Google LLC (CS(OS) 159/2025)
Please Login or Register
