Will delete tweets against Gurmeet Ram Rahim, YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh assures Delhi HC
Dec 30, 2023
New Delhi [India], December 30 : YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh on Saturday assured the Delhi High Court that he would delete the tweets today that he posted on Friday against Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim.
Delhi High Court is hearing a suit filed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim seeking an interim stay on the streaming video and deletion of a video on YouTube uploaded by YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh.
Vacation judge Manoj Jain on Saturday directed Meera Singh to delete the tweets posted by him after filing the petition on Friday.
The bench said, "Tweets are defamatory and contemptuous. Delete these tweets. I want your client to be responsible. He needs to be responsible if he is a journalist. And no further tweets until the matter is sub judice."
Advocate Kapil Madan and Advocate Gurmukh Singh assured the court the tweets will be deleted today itself. There will be no further tweets till the matter is sub judice.
Meanwhile, counsel for Shyam Meera Singh sought time to file a reply. He also submitted that he received a copy of the suit on Friday evening. No advance copy was served. It was also submitted that the suit is not maintainable.
The bench granted time to Singh's counsel to file a reply to the suit filed by Gurmeet Ram Rahim against YouTuber Singh.
The matter is listed on January 4, 2024, for further hearing on the interim stay on streaming of the video.
The bench also directed that the soft copy of the video contained in the pen drive be filed. Let it be directed to make the part of the record, the court said.
Senior advocate Mohit Mathur appeared for Gurmeet Ram Rahim and submitted that he was aware and that he was attending the hearing through video conferencing. He posted a tweet at 3.30 pm.
Counsel for Singh submitted that the suit is not maintainable at all as the same is not attested by the superintendent of the jail. How it is possible for a person who is in jail to see the video on YouTube?
The Court asked whether he can pull it down from his channel. He can take out the video till the next date.
The counsel for Singh submitted that the question is whether the video is defamatory or not.
It will set a bad precedent if the video uploaded by a journalist is taken down, Singh's counsel argued.
On the other hand, Sr. Advocate Mohit Mathur argued that it would prejudice the reputation of the plaintiff if the video is available on YouTube.
We only have to see whether it is defamatory or not, the bench said.
Sr. Advocate Mathur argued that Singh is disclosing the identity of the rape victims through the video which is a crime.
On this, the bench said Singh's counsel that the way your client is tweeting is objectionable.
The counsel also said that the suit is not maintainable as it is not clear which part is defamatory and an advanced copy of the same was not supplied.
"You are served, you are appearing..." the court said.
Counsel Madan submitted that the plaintiff is not able to show which part is defamatory. My only request is to have it after reopening.
The court asked Singh's counsel to take the video down till the next date.
"It will be an infringement of the rights of my client. I am asking only for some days to file my response. It requires a detailed hearing. Give me three days, and I will respond," Singh's counsel said.
While opposing the submissions, Sr. Advocate Mathur read over the transcription of the video in question in which a book written by another Anurag Tripathi was referred to.
Advocate Madan submitted that Singh is not the author of the book. Anurag Tripathi is the author of the book.
Sr. Counsel Mathur argued that despite the filing of the petition and issuance of a notice, there are several tweets by Singh that are not only objectionable but contemptuous also.
At this point advocate Kapil Madan undertook that they will delete it today itself.
The court directed the counsel to delete the same today itself.
Advocate Kapil Madan submitted that Singh was referring to the book titled 'Dera Sacha Sauda' by Anurag Tripathi.
If you are reporting or referring to something, you need to verify, Sr. Counsel Mathur rebutted.
Kapil Madan submitted, "I am free to practice my profession as a journalist. It is well within their right to make this author a party. It is available on Amazon. This book was published in 2018."
The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice on a suit for injunction filed by Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim against YouTuber Shyam Meera Singh. Gurmeet Ram Rahim has sought direction for the deletion of a video uploaded by Singh.
He has also sought direction from Shyam Meera Singh to delete the video in question.
It is alleged that the respondent Singh uploaded a video on YouTube titled 'How Ram Rahim made a fool of his followers'.
The alleged video was uploaded on December 17. Before moving to the High Court a legal notice was also served upon Singh. Despite this, Singh refused to take down the video, the counsel further submitted.
Counsel for Ram Rahim submitted before the bench that the video in question is defamatory and disparaging.
It was argued by the counsel that Singh is a habitual offender and an FIR was lodged in Uttar Pradesh against him for insulting the UP Chief Minister.
Earlier, Singh was with a news channel and he was fired, the counsel claimed.
Gurmeet Singh Ram Rahim is serving a jail term for rape.
