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J&K Deputy CM's Court Battle: Why a Defamation Suit Left Judge 'Puzzled'

Jammu & Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary has taken a defamation suit to the Delhi High Court. He is seeking the removal of objectionable online content that allegedly carries sexual undertones about him. The court, however, pointed out major gaps in the petition, noting it lacked the actual transcripts of the videos in question. Justice Amit Bansal was left "puzzled," questioning how a ruling could be made without seeing the material, and has ordered the transcripts to be submitted.

Key Points: J&K Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary Files Defamation Suit in Delhi HC

  • Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary seeks injunction against social media content with alleged sexual undertones
  • Delhi HC notes significant gaps, as no video transcripts were submitted in the petition
  • Court directs Choudhary to file detailed transcripts, schedules next hearing for January 2026
  • Google and Meta instructed to share info on pages/channels hosting the disputed content
2 min read

J&K Dy CM moves Delhi HC through defamation suit over objectionable online content

J&K Deputy CM Surinder Choudhary moves Delhi HC over defamatory online content. Court questions petition's gaps, seeks video transcripts for January 2026 hearing.

"I was 'puzzled' while reading the petition. - Justice Amit Bansal, Delhi High Court"

Jammu, Dec 2

J&K Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary has moved the Delhi High Court through a defamation suit seeking removal of objectionable online content allegedly carrying sexual undertones and alleging his improper relationship with a woman.

The online content had found wide circulation, which prompted authorities in Jammu & Kashmir to reinvestigate the role of digital media and independent citizen reportage after the issue was raised in the Legislative Assembly.

Surinder Choudhary, a legislator and member of the ruling National Conference (NC), has sought a permanent and mandatory injunction alleging that there is defamatory content with sexual undertones on several social media platforms, including Facebook pages and YouTube channels, against him.

The matter was heard briefly on Tuesday by Justice Amit Bansal, who found significant gaps in the suit. The court recorded that no transcripts of the allegedly defamatory videos or recordings were placed on record, leaving it impossible to determine the nature of the content or assess whether defamation had occurred.

Justice Bansal said he was 'puzzled' while reading the petition, questioning how the court could reach any conclusion about the material without the relevant transcripts.

The Deputy Chief Minister's counsel submitted that much of the impugned content was nearly two years old, and many of the URLs belonged to news agencies that had republished the social media material.

In response, the Court directed Surinder Choudhary to file detailed transcripts of the recordings and videos cited in his petition. The matter is now scheduled for further hearing on January 13, 2026.

Google LLC and Meta Platforms have been instructed to share information about the Facebook pages and YouTube channels that uploaded the disputed content, allowing the Deputy Chief Minister to implead them as defendants in the suit.

He defeated the then BJP president of J&K unit, Ravinder Raina, in Nowshera, assembly constituency of Jammu division, in the 2024 assembly elections.

Raina polled 27250 votes and lost to National Conference's Surinder Choudhary by a margin of 7,819 votes.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
This is a serious issue. Spreading malicious content about public figures, especially with sexual undertones, is unacceptable. It damages reputations and creates unnecessary drama. Hope the court gets to the bottom of this. 🙏
A
Aman W
Typical political strategy? File a case, get headlines, look like a victim. But the judge saw through it - "puzzled" by the petition. If you have a genuine complaint, come prepared with evidence. Otherwise, it just wastes the court's time.
S
Shreya B
Social media has become a wild west. Anyone can say anything. While freedom of speech is important, character assassination is not. The directive to Google and Meta is a good step to trace the origin. Let's see who is really behind these pages.
V
Vikram M
He defeated a strong BJP candidate, so obviously there will be attempts to tarnish his image. This is the dirty side of politics. Hope justice is served, but he must provide solid proof as the court has asked.
K
Kavya N
As a citizen, I'm more concerned about the "reinvestigate the role of digital media" part. Does this mean more control over what we can post? We need accountability for false news, but not at the cost of genuine criticism.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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