The Delhi High Court on Friday granted police protection to a woman who alleged that Cockroach Janta Party leaders Saurav Das, Abhijit Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh had posted and circulated an alleged deepfake image of her with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media, following which she allegedly received threats.
Justice Girish Kathpalia issued notices to Das, Dipke, Ranka and Singh while passing the order.
Justice Kathpalia said, “Then comes the issue of providing protection to the petitioner. In the petition, the petitioner not disclosed her present address. That is a correct decision taken by her. However, in order to ensure that she is provided complete police protection, it is directed that today itself she will disclose her exact residence address to IO present in Court. And IO shall forthwith transmit address to SHO of the area in which petitioner resides. IO shall also transmit a copy of this order to the said SHO who is directed to ensure complete police protection to petitioner in all possible and practical manner”.
The court also issued notice to Meta Platforms and directed the company to remove access to the “objectionable content” from its social media platforms within 24 hours, reported Live Law.
The court further observed that the petitioner has the right to seek compensation from the organisers of the demonstration. It clarified that filing the petition would not prevent her from pursuing any other legal relief available to her.
What did the woman’s petition say?
The petitioner’s counsel submitted that unknown persons had allegedly morphed her photographs without her consent in a highly obscene and objectionable manner, creating images that depicted her alongside the Prime Minister of India.
According to the counsel, the images were widely circulated along with obscene and derogatory slogans during a recently organised demonstration by the Cockroach Janta Party. The counsel alleged that the demonstration was organised by respondents 2 to 5 and that the images were subsequently uploaded on social media platforms by respondent 6, Meta Platforms, without the petitioner’s consent.
Complaint names CJP founder and spokespersons
An FIR has already been registered in connection with the matter. The complainant, a content creator, alleged that the photograph had caused her “absolute distress, fear, and trauma” and claimed it was created by “specific organisers and key functionaries of the CJP protest.”
In her complaint, she named CJP spokespersons Abhijeet Dipke, Ratna Singh and Saurav Das, among others, and alleged that her photographs were used both online and at the protest site.
However, the FIR, registered at the Cyber Police Station in New Delhi district, was filed against unidentified persons under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act.
