Delhi HC orders Meta to remove morphed image of woman with PM: What the case is about
The Delhi High Court on Friday directed Meta to remove posts carrying an allegedly morphed, explicit image of a woman alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It also ordered police protection for the woman and sought a report on the investigation within a week. The woman says the image was made without her consent and circulated after a protest at Jantar Mantar.
Justice Girish Kathpalia heard her petition a day after Delhi Police registered an FIR. According to The Indian Express's account of the hearing, Meta was told to remove the material immediately, within 24 hours. The court issued notices to four people named in the petition and listed the case for October 14. A notice is not a finding that those people made or circulated the image.
What does the woman allege?
The woman alleges that her photograph was taken without permission and her face placed onto an explicit image with the prime minister using AI face-swapping tools. Her petition says the resulting image appeared on banners at a Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demonstration and that videos later circulated on Instagram and other platforms. These are allegations in her complaint and petition. Neither the technology used nor responsibility for making and distributing the material has been established by a court finding in the reports reviewed for this draft.
In an earlier PTI report on the FIR, police said they were investigating the creation, printing, public display and online circulation of the image. The same report said the FIR listed the accused as unidentified at that stage, although the woman's complaint named protest organisers and functionaries. The High Court subsequently issued notice to Saurav Das, Abhijit Dipke, Ashutosh Ranka and Ratna Singh on her petition. The notices do not change the FIR's reported status on Thursday.
What did the court direct?
The court ordered Meta to take down the objectionable material on platforms it manages. It told police to provide the woman protection after she reported threats and to file a status report within a week. According to The New Indian Express's court account, the registry was also directed to redact her name and the web links from the petition and its annexures. This report does not reproduce her identity or the material.
Justice Kathpalia said a takedown request would ordinarily be pursued before a civil court. In this case, he decided not to make the woman pursue separate proceedings for urgent relief. Bar and Bench reported that the judge called the matter extraordinary because it involved both the woman and the prime minister. The court's immediate orders address removal, safety and the police response. They do not decide who created the image or whether the named respondents committed an offence.
What remains unresolved?
The police investigation has yet to establish the image's origin, how it was altered, who printed the banners and who uploaded the videos. It also remains to be checked whether Meta has completed the court-ordered removals, including any copies or reposts. The police status report and the next hearing are the points at which the record may become clearer.
(With inputs from PTI)