Defamation – Delhi High Court Orders Removal of Instagram Posts in Basketball Player’s Lawsuit
Defamation –The Delhi High Court has issued an interim order directing the removal of disputed social media content in a defamation case involving Indian basketball player Kushal Singh.
The Delhi High Court has provided interim relief to professional basketball player Kushal Singh in a defamation lawsuit concerning a series of Instagram posts that allegedly harmed his reputation. In an order delivered on Friday, Justice Sachin Datta instructed the first defendant to immediately remove all posts, reels, story highlights, captions, comments, and similar content that allegedly contained false accusations of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or related allegations against the player. The direction applies to content shared from her Instagram account as well as any other account operated or controlled by her.
Court Directs Immediate Compliance
The Court stated that if the first defendant does not comply with the order by removing the disputed material, the plaintiff may approach Instagram’s parent platform, Meta. In such a situation, the platform would be expected to ensure compliance with the Court’s directions. The Court also instructed the plaintiff to complete the procedural requirements under Order XXXIX Rule 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure within one week.
Plaintiff Claims False Allegations Damaged Reputation
According to the case filed before the Court, Kushal Singh is a professional basketball player who represents India at the senior national level. He has participated in several international competitions, including the FIBA U16 Asian Championship 2022. The lawsuit states that beginning in July 2026, the first defendant, who is described as a private individual residing in Singapore, allegedly began publishing multiple Instagram posts, reels, and stories containing false claims about the player.
The suit argues that these posts received significant public attention, attracting thousands of views and causing serious harm to Singh’s personal and professional reputation.
Alleged Social Media Campaign Highlighted in Court
The plaintiff submitted that the Instagram content falsely accused him of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and inappropriate behaviour involving minors. According to the pleadings, these allegations were entirely untrue and were defamatory in nature.
Senior counsel representing the player informed the Court that the social media activity was not limited to isolated posts. Instead, it was described as an ongoing campaign in which new reels and stories were regularly uploaded with the intention of damaging the player’s public image.
Claims of Wider Online Circulation
The plaintiff also argued that the defendant encouraged followers to tag basketball organizations and related agencies so that the allegations would spread more widely. According to the submissions, this approach was intended to increase the reach of the content and negatively affect Singh’s standing within the basketball community.
During the proceedings, the plaintiff identified several Instagram reel links and story media identifiers that allegedly contained the defamatory material. After examining the submissions and documents presented before it, the High Court concluded that interim protection was appropriate and directed the immediate removal of the disputed content while the matter remains pending.
Next Stages of the Legal Proceedings
Along with granting interim relief, the Court issued summons to the defendants. They have been directed to file their written statements within 30 days of receiving the summons, accompanied by affidavits confirming or disputing the documents relied upon by the plaintiff. The plaintiff will have an additional 30 days to submit a replication after receiving the written statements.
The case has been scheduled before the Joint Registrar (Judicial) on September 17, 2026, for procedural steps including completion of service, pleadings, admission and denial of documents, and marking of exhibits. The main suit and the interim application are scheduled to be heard by the High Court on January 13, 2027.