An Ahmedabad civil court has issued a significant order, directing the Indian National Congress and four of its senior leaders to immediately remove what it terms as 'defamatory' deepfake videos from social media platforms. The videos feature industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Urgent Court Order and Key Directives
On Thursday, December 19, 2025, Additional Civil Judge Shrikant Sharma granted urgent ad-interim and ex-parte relief to Adani Enterprise Limited. The court mandated the political party and its leaders to ensure the removal of the contentious videos within 48 hours of the order being passed.
The court's directives extend beyond the political defendants. It has also ordered social media intermediaries, specifically X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube, to take down the identified videos from their platforms within 72 hours. This move underscores the legal system's growing involvement in regulating digital content.
The defendants named in the plea include the Indian National Congress through its General Secretary, along with individual leaders: General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, Chairperson (Social Media and Digital Platforms) Supriya Shrinate, National Spokesperson Pawan Khera, and Indian Youth Congress president Uday Bhanu Chib.
Allegations and the Plaintiff's Stance
The legal action was initiated after Adani Enterprise Limited filed a plea seeking urgent relief. The company argued that the videos in question, posted on the Congress's official X handle on December 17, contained serious and baseless allegations.
According to the court order, the videos accused the Adani Group of "criminal activity, corruption, land grabbing, misuse of political influence, harassment of private citizens, illegal acquisition of agricultural land, manipulation of public authorities, and engagement with criminal elements." The plea, represented by Senior Advocate Devang Nanavati and Advocate P V Sharma, asserted these claims were "wholly false, fabricated, baseless and actuated by malice."
Adani Enterprises contended that the deepfake content sought to portray Gautam Adani as a "white-collar criminal" and "land mafia," using defamatory expressions circulated without factual basis. The plea emphasized that such false material caused "irreparable damage" and was likely to mislead the public, corporate institutions, and government officials. It invoked Adani's Fundamental Right to Reputation under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
Broader Implications and Next Steps
The court acknowledged the Adani Group's extensive pan-India presence across ten publicly traded companies, particularly in transport, logistics, and energy. It noted that defamatory social media content could tarnish their reputation, undermine goodwill, and cause significant harm to their public image.
In a procedural step, the court issued an urgent notice to all defendants. They are required to show cause at the next hearing on December 29 as to why the interim relief granted to the Adani Group should not be made permanent.
The order also provides a mechanism for enforcement. It states that in the event of non-compliance by the Congress and its leaders, Adani Enterprises is at liberty to directly approach the social media intermediaries—X and YouTube. They can then initiate a takedown process under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
This case highlights the escalating legal battles over digital content and deepfake technology in Indian politics and corporate discourse. It sets a precedent for how courts may intervene to order swift takedowns of alleged defamatory material online, balancing freedom of expression with the right to reputation.
