Overview
- A Bengaluru city civil court issued a John Doe interim injunction on June 11 directing X Corp, Google and Meta to block a listed set of URLs and any allegedly defamatory content about Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan until the next hearing.
- The order converted an earlier June 10 interim restraining order into a John Doe order that names specific online links (reported as 12 URLs) and commands platforms to stop publishing or hosting the listed material.
- The plaintiff says he first used grievance routes under India’s IT Rules and on June 3 sent detailed complaints to X and YouTube, and that X told his lawyers it would act only on receipt of court process.
- The case names X, Google, Meta and a John Doe defendant and is returnable on July 24, with the court directing procedural compliance before issuing a formal ex parte injunction and serving summons.
- Legal observers and media note this order fits a pattern of politicians using Bengaluru John Doe orders to secure rapid takedowns, a practice that raises questions about personality rights, prior restraint and limits on public-interest criticism.