Gautami Kawale And ANR v. John Doe And ORS.

$~33 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + CS(OS) 33/2026 X AND ANR .....Plaintiffs Through:

Ms. Diya Kapur, Sr. Adv. with Mr.

Nakul Gandhi, Adv.

versus JOHN DOE AND ORS.

.....Defendants Through:

Mr. Ankit Parhar, Mr. Abhishek Kumar and Ms. Sanchli Sethi, Advs.

for D-44 (X. Corp.).

Mr. Ankit Parhar and Ms. Sneha Dey, Advs. for D-43 (Reddit).

Ms. Amee Rana, Ms. Sana Banyal and Ms. Bhavnish Kaur, Advs. for D42.

Ms. Mamta Rani, Mr. Rohan Ahuja, Ms. Shruttima Shersa, Mr. Aiswarya Debardarsini, Ms. Vareesha Irfan and Ms. Jahanvi Agarwal, Advs. for D-45.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIKAS MAHAJAN

O R D E R

% 30.01.2026 CS(OS) 33/2026 & I.A. 705/2026 (under Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2 r/w Section 151 CPC) 1.

The present suit has been filed by the plaintiffs praying for decree of permanent injunction restraining the defendants from publishing, transmitting, reposting, hyper linking, advertising, or otherwise circulating any impugned AI-generated, morphed and/or phonographic content bearing the plaintiffs likeness, image, identity or persona through any website, The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

server, platform, application or any other digital or electronic medium whatsoever.

2.

A prayer for mandatory injunction has also been made for removal of such offending material. Besides that, the plaintiffs have also claimed damages to the extent of Rs. 2,00,00,100/-.

3.

Ms. Diya Kapur, learned Senior Counsel for the plaintiffs submits that this Court vide order dated 13.01.2026 had passed certain directions, whereby the defendants were injuncted and were also directed to forthwith take down the URLs on which offending material has been uploaded. 4.

She submits that in so far as the prayer for damages is concerned, she has instructions to state that the plaintiffs do not wish to press for the same. 5.

Accordingly, a prayer is made for the disposal of the suit itself in terms of the directions passed by this Court vide order dated 13.01.2026. 6.

The learned counsels for the intermediaries submit that they have no objection in case the suit is decreed in terms of the directions already passed vide order dated 13.01.2026.

7.

In view of the above, the suit is decreed in terms of the directions contained in paragraph 31 of the order dated 13.01.2026. The intermediaries shall take down all offending URLs pertaining to the offending videos which are the subject matter of the present suit, if already not taken down. 8.

The plaintiffs shall be at liberty to bring to the notice of the intermediaries through their respective counsels any remaining URLs pertaining to the posts, images and videos which are the subject matter of the present suit. Any such request if made, may be independently examined and evaluated by the intermediaries and if found to be forming part of the subject matter of the instant suit, further steps may be taken in accordance The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.

with the directions passed vide order dated 13.01.2026, bearing in mind the statutory rules in respect thereof.

9.

In so far as two URLs of defendant no.42/META are concerned, the same are not pressed by the plaintiffs.

10.

Since the parties have agreed for the disposal of the suit during the course of hearing in terms of the directions recorded in order dated 13.01.2026 passed by this Court, the suit can be treated as disposed of under Order XXIII Rule 3 CPC. Ordered accordingly. 11.

At this stage, Ms. Kapur, learned Senior Counsel for the plaintiffs prays for the refund of the Court Fee.

12.

Since the suit has been decreed in terms of the provisions of order XXIII Rule 3 CPC, the plaintiffs are entitled to refund of Court Fee to the extent of half of the Court fee affixed on the plaint, in terms of Section 16A of the Court Fees Act, 1870. The Registry is directed to issue a certificate in that behalf to the plaintiffs.

13.

The date fixed before the learned Joint Registrar, i.e, 23.02.2026 stands cancelled.

VIKAS MAHAJAN, J JANUARY 30, 2026/dss The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.