Delhi High Court Orders Removal Of Defamatory Posts Linking Hardeep Singh Puri’s Daughter Himayani Puri To Epstein, Gives 24-Hour Deadline

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered the removal of allegedly defamatory content targeting Himayani Puri, daughter of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, observing that a prima facie case had been made out and that continued circulation of such material could cause irreparable harm.

Hearing the defamation suit, Justice Mini Pushkarna directed Defendants No. 1–14 and 21, along with their agents and associates, to take down the identified URLs and content listed in Annexure A within 24 hours. The Court further stated that if they fail to comply, social media intermediaries Defendants No. 15–18 must step in to block access to the disputed posts, videos, and links.

The Court also allowed the plaintiff to notify intermediaries about any additional URLs carrying the same content, directing that such complaints be acted upon without delay.

Relief limited within India for Himayani Puri

Clarifying the scope of the order, the Court said the injunction would apply within India for content uploaded from IP addresses located in the country. For content uploaded from outside India, the defendants have been instructed to ensure that access is blocked within India.

While dictating the order, the Court restrained the defendants from publishing or circulating the impugned material on any platform. It noted that the balance of convenience lies in favour of the plaintiff and warned that failure to grant interim relief would result in irreparable injury to her reputation.

During the hearing, Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for the plaintiff, argued that she had been targeted in a coordinated online attack. He said she had been subjected to a “scurrilous” campaign that falsely imputed professional misconduct and moral wrongdoing. He also told the Court that much of the content originated within India, justifying strong interim protection.

Meta opposes global blocking

On the other side, Senior Advocate Arvind Datar, representing Meta, opposed any direction for a global takedown. He submitted that intermediaries can act only based on court orders or statutory notifications and pointed out that the issue of global blocking is currently under consideration before a Division Bench of the High Court.

Counsel appearing for some journalists argued that statements not attributable to them were being wrongly linked and warned that a broad restriction could have a chilling effect on press freedom. However, the Court said that verifying such claims is the responsibility of investigating agencies, not journalists.

Rs 10 crore defamation suit filed by Himayani Puri

The lawsuit, which was filed by Himayani Puri, seeks Rs 10 crore in damages, as well as a public apology from the accused. The plaintiff claims that there has been an intentional campaign to connect her to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein through various online sources.

According to her lawsuit, from February 2026 to March 2026 there were many posts, videos and articles which attempted to connect the Plaintiff to Jeffrey Epstein and state that an investment company that was associated with the Plaintiff was paid by Epstein.

The Plaintiff asserts that these statements are false and have no factual basis, and have caused her to suffer significant harm to her professional and personal reputations. She contends that the content is still available for viewing despite her sending a cease and desist letter on March 6, 2026; therefore, she had no option but to file her application with the High Court for relief.

(With inputs from ANI)

Also Read: Who Is Himayani Puri? Hardeep Singh Puri’s Daughter Seeks Rs. 10 Crore In Damages Over Link To Epstein Files Claims: ‘Entirely False, Malicious’