Overview
- Justice Mini Pushkarna directed Congress, AAP and several individuals to delete the content within 24 hours and restrained further publication referring to Gautam as a purported “VIP.”
- The order extends to platforms, with Meta, X and Google told to take down the material if defendants do not comply, and the court set May 4 as the next hearing.
- Gautam’s defamation suit seeks Rs 2 crore in damages and argues the clips are fabricated, noting no investigation or court record names him, with his petition also providing location details from September 2022.
- Uttarakhand Police registered a defamation FIR in Dehradun against Congress, AAP, UKD, Suresh Rathore and Urmila Sanawar under BNS and IT Act provisions, while the Uttarakhand High Court granted Rathore interim protection from arrest.
- Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said an SIT will verify the viral audio through FSL testing and stated police found Gautam was not in Uttarakhand during the relevant dates, as opposition parties continue to press for a CBI probe.