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The High Court issued formal summons in the Rs 2-crore defamation suit, seeking responses from Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka, and CJP founder Abhijit Dipke as proceedings move forward
The controversy erupted after CJP spokesperson Saurav Das posted an AI-generated graphic on social media platform X. Image/Facebook
The Delhi High Court delivered a rebuke to Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka, observing that publishing unverified information on social media targeting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia was “not correct”.
Presiding over a Rs 2-crore civil defamation suit filed in person by Bhatia, Justice Tushar Rao Gedela pulled up the young activists over their online conduct, advising them to voluntarily remove the controversial posts to avoid formal judicial takedown orders. Following the bench’s observations, counsel representing Das and Ranka provided an undertaking to the court committing to remove the disputed content within 24 hours.
The Fake Graphic and AI-Generated Remarks
The legal clash stems from an artificial intelligence-generated graphic shared on social media platform X on September 5, 2026. The post circulated following the high-profile arrest of Hindutva activist Swatantra Bhardwaj over an alleged assault on the father of a student protester at Jantar Mantar.
- Fabricated Quotes: The viral graphic falsely attributed statements to Bhatia, portraying him as calling Bhardwaj a “Dimaagi Naxal” and alleging he harboured “casteist poison.”
- Media Logo Abuse: Bhatia submitted before the bench that the defendants had manipulated an AI image and appended the logo of a mainstream news agency to manufacture false credibility for the quote.
- Aggravated Defamation: Appearing in court, Bhatia argued that the fabricated image caused severe, ongoing damage to his professional standing, noting that the defendants command massive online followings.
‘There Is a Way to Protest’
Addressing the CJP leaders, the High Court emphasised that while youth activism and political anxieties are understandable, unverified social media attacks cross legitimate boundaries of protest.
- Judicial Observation: “You are youngsters. You may have anxieties. But attacking like this without verifying is not correct. There is a way to protest,” the bench remarked.
- Social Media Ecosystem: Responding to arguments that public figures should accept online criticism, Bhatia pointed to a coordinated digital ecosystem that targets individuals who expose fake news graphics.
- Platform Directives: While declining to pass an immediate injunction due to the defendants’ voluntary undertaking, the court directed social media intermediaries Meta and X Corp to swiftly remove identical reposts if flagged by Bhatia.
The High Court issued formal summons in the defamation suit, seeking responses from Das, Ranka, and CJP founder Abhijit Dipke as proceedings move forward.
Quick Answers
Ask News18Gaurav Bhatia filed a Rs 2-crore civil defamation suit after Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka shared a fabricated, AI-generated graphic on X. The viral graphic falsely attributed statements to Bhatia, portraying him as calling an activist a “Dimaagi Naxal” and alleging he harboured “casteist poison”. Additionally, the defendants manipulated the image by appending the logo of a mainstream news agency to manufacture false credibility for the fake quote.
Ask News18About the Author
Pathikrit Sen Gupta is a Senior Associate Editor with News18.com and likes to cut a long story short. He writes sporadically on Politics, Sports, Global Affairs, Space, Entertainment, And Food. He tra…Read More
September 10, 2026, 17:34 IST
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