Delhi HC criticises Richa Chadha for reposting unverified sexual misconduct claims; details inside
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Delhi HC criticises Richa Chadha for reposting unverified sexual misconduct claims; details inside")
Richa Chadha Photograph: (Instagram)
The Delhi High Court called out Richa Chadha for reposting an unverified allegation of sexual misconduct against a co-passenger on a Delhi-Mumbai flight on her social media. Read the details inside.
Richa Chadha has found herself at the centre of legal trouble after the Delhi High Court called out the actress for reposting unverified allegations of sexual misconduct against a co-passenger on a Delhi-Mumbai flight on her social media.
This comes during a court hearing after a defamation suit was filed by the accused man, who denied all allegations.
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What's the case?
The controversy is from March 11, when a female journalist allegedly accused a fellow passenger of inappropriate physical conduct during the flight. Later, she took to X to share her allegation, including the man’s name, photo, and professional details. The post immediately went viral and was also covered by multiple media outlets.
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Chadha, as well, reposted it with the comment, "Make him famous."
What did the court say?
On hearing the matter on March 20, Justice Vikas Mahajan said, "A public figure, such as defendant no. 7 (Richa Chadha), bears a legal and moral responsibility to verify the veracity of facts before leveraging her platform to amplify grave accusations. The Court is prima facie of the view that endorsement of unverified allegations has inflicted immediate, exponential, and incalculable harm on the plaintiff’s reputation. The endorsement and amplification of an unverified allegation, accompanied by the instigatory text “Make him famous”, transcends mere free expression and acts as a catalyst for public shaming and digital vigilantism," as quoted by HT.
As per the court, public figures must verify facts before amplifying serious accusations on social media.
The bench also raised concerns over the journalist's decision to reveal the individual's identity before filing a formal complaint. "The overhasty public disclosure, prima facie, suggests an attempt to sensationalize the issue and subject the plaintiff to a trial by public opinion, rather than a bona fide pursuit of legal redress. While defendant no. 1 has an unhindered right to report a grievance, but using social media to circulate allegations of inappropriate touching and revealing the identity of the plaintiff along with his photograph before a formal investigation even commences, in a prima facie view of this Court, is a severe transgression of the plaintiff’s fundamental right to live with dignity and have fair trial," it said.
Chadha already removed the post
The defendant, through his attorney, stated that the online posts and media coverage exceeded the details of the FIR and exaggerated the matter. He also highlighted the timing of the posts, implying possible collusion.
Chadha’s attorney argued that the actress had already removed the post and claimed she was wrongfully included in the case.
Regarding Chadha, the court stated that it anticipates her avoiding escalating the matter going forward.
