Chandigarh, Sep 9 A Chandigarh court here has temporarily restrained former judge Justice Ranjit Singh, SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira from publishing or circulating any "unverified defamatory content" against Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's wife over allegations of bribery.
The court, however, declined at this stage to order removal or deletion of the posts, videos and photographs cited by the plaintiff, saying notice first has to be issued to the defendants and granting such relief without hearing them could amount to granting the main relief sought in the suit.
Civil Judge, Junior Division, Dr Prikishit, passed an order on Tuesday following a suit filed by Mann's wife Dr Gurpreet Kaur, seeking injunction.
The court issued notices in the suit as well as a stay application to the defendants for September 30.
Through her counsel, Kaur sought a temporary injunction restraining the defendants from issuing allegedly defamatory, false, unverified and unauthenticated statements against her on social media and also sought directions for taking down the alleged defamatory material.
According to the counsel, Kaur had a good prima facie in her favour and the balance of convenience also lies in her favour and against the respondent.
If the injunction is not granted, the plaintiff would suffer irreparable loss and injury, which shall not be compensated by any means, her counsel said.
Kaur submitted through the counsel that the defendant, Justice Ranjit Singh, made allegations on August 20 that she had demanded Rs 5 crore from an accused in a rape case.
Kaur further submitted that another defendant Bikram Majithia launched a campaign against her at a press conference in Chandigarh on September 1, with broadcast subsequently uploaded on X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Another defendant Sukhpal Singh Khaira, who is related to former judge Justice Ranjit Singh, posted "highly defamatory" commentary, graphic material and videos on social media, according to Kaur.
In its order, the court said it is of the view that the plaintiff has been able to make out a prima facie case in her favour.
"All the posts, videos and photographs as posted by the defendants qua the plaintiff at this moment does not appear to be substantiated by any other cogent proof.
"Hence, this court prima facie is of the view that defendants without ascertaining the authenticity of the purported posts had chosen to post them on entirely unverified material, because the very person who had alleged to be mediated with the plaintiff had become hostile," it said.
"Multiple views must have already been garnered on the said posts. It is well settled 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," the order said.
In the present case, if the freedom of speech and expression of the defendants is not curtailed so as to prevent the defamation of the plaintiff, she will suffer irreparable loss due to the fact that she is an eminent public figure, being the sitting CM's wife and the issuance of notice to the defendants will cause further loss to her, said the order.
Moreover, no irreparable loss will occur to the defendants if they are restricted from posting on social media platforms, defamatory notes qua the plaintiff pertaining to the alleged demand of a bribe in a rape case without any verification, as per the order.
The defendants are temporarily restrained from publishing, circulating or making any unverified defamatory content pertaining to the alleged demand of bribe, prejudicial in the interest of the plaintiff on social media platforms or through any other medium till the further orders of the court, read the order.
