Delhi HC directs removal of social media posts against judge over Saidulajab building collapse case

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed social media platforms to remove certain allegedly contemptuous content targeting a sitting judge in relation to the collapse of a multi-storey building in Saidulajab here last month.

“Remove everything forthwith,” a vacation bench of Justices Neena Bansal Krishna and Madhu Jain said while dealing with a plea by the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) seeking criminal contempt action against social media user Dr Kapil Kakar for his “scandalous” videos holding the sitting high court judge responsible for the incident, which claimed six lives.

DHCBA president senior advocate N Hariharan informed that Kakar uploaded videos on social media platforms in which he made contemptuous allegations against the judge, who allegedly earlier heard a case regarding the illegal construction in the building.

Asserting that it was “not a small matter”, the bench questioned why the social media platforms had not removed the videos on their own.

“There should be some responsibility. Once you get to know about something so absurd, why don’t you remove them? Once it comes to your notice, why can’t you do it on your own,” the court asked the social media platforms.

“This is not one case. This is happening daily,” it further said.

The counsel appearing for Meta, Google and LinkedIn assured the court that the videos would be taken down as per its directions.

Even as the DHCBA asserted that damage had already been done by the offending content, the court remarked, “This is not genuine information. Public memory is short. This is only to scandalise.”

The DHCBA also prayed that besides removing the videos, the social media account for the alleged contemnor should also be blocked.

The court said it would pass an order in the matter.