Delhi HC directs takedown of online claims against Hardeep Singh Puri’s daughter

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday ordered the removal of social media posts that linked Himayani Puri , daughter of Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri , to late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , directing users to delete the content within 24 hours or face platform-level takedowns.

Justice Mini Pushkarna , hearing a defamation suit filed by Himayani Puri , restrained several social media users from publishing or circulating the allegations in any form. The court held that the plaintiff had established a prima facie case and warned that failure to grant interim relief could cause “irreparable injury” to her reputation . The matter has been listed for further hearing in August.

Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani , appearing for Puri, argued that the allegations were “completely false, reckless and malicious,” describing them as part of an orchestrated campaign driven by personal and political motives. He told the court that his client is an accomplished finance professional based in New York with a global reputation to protect and sought worldwide blocking of the content.

Counsel for Meta Platforms submitted that content blocking is typically implemented on a country-specific basis and that the issue of global takedowns is pending before a division bench. The court, for now, restricted its order to India, directing platforms to block access domestically even for material uploaded abroad.

Puri’s lawsuit seeks ₹10 crore in damages , an unconditional apology, and retraction of what she described as a “coordinated and malicious online campaign” falsely alleging business, financial, or personal links to Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. One defendant claimed the material was protected under journalistic freedom , a contention the court said required examination.