The Delhi High Court has ordered social media platforms to remove AI-generated videos and images depicting Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta as a liquor seller, saying political satire cannot be used to violate an individual’s dignity and reputation.
Justice Manoj Jain passed the interim order while hearing a civil suit filed by the chief minister. The court directed X and Facebook to take down the disputed posts and associated URLs. The posts had been shared from official social media handles of the Aam Aadmi Party, according to the report placed before the court.
The case concerns a set of AI-generated images and videos that portrayed Gupta as a liquor seller, street vendor and delivery agent. The material referred to a fictional scheme described as the “Har-Har Rekha or Ghar-Ghar Theka Yojana”. One video allegedly showed the chief minister and the deputy chief minister handling liquor and ice.
The court observed that political figures must tolerate satirical criticism in a democracy. However, it said that judicial intervention becomes necessary when freedom of expression is invoked to attack a person’s personal honour and moral character. The order also made clear that a person or organisation publishing AI-generated material cannot avoid responsibility merely because the content was created using artificial intelligence.
The petitioner’s lawyers told the court that Delhi’s excise rules do not provide for home delivery of liquor. According to the submission, registered consumers may check their stock but must collect the liquor themselves. The legal argument formed part of the dispute surrounding the posts, which presented the alleged liquor-delivery concept as a political attack on the chief minister.
The court found a prima facie case and issued summons to the Aam Aadmi Party and the other defendants. They have been given 30 days to file written responses. The court was also told that one video posted on November 4 had received more than 75,000 views on X within a short period.
The order places responsibility for politically circulated synthetic media within an existing legal framework governing reputation, dignity and platform content. It does not, on the facts supplied, amount to a final ruling on the suit or establish the defendants’ liability. The next hearing is scheduled for December 4, when the court is expected to consider the parties’ responses and further proceedings.
