New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) Delhi High Court has passed an interim order injuncting Telugu actor Manoj Manchu – the younger son of veteran Tollywood actor Mohan Babu from publishing defamatory content against media professional Vinay Maheshwari.
A bench of Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma temporarily restrained Manoj Manchu, or anyone acting on its behalf, from making, posting, tweeting, reposting, sharing, or sending any defamatory statements concerning Vinay Maheshwari and his family on any social media platform, messenger service, or public forum.
The single-judge Bench said that the defamatory claims made against Vinay Maheshwari may lead to widespread public dissemination and cause lasting damage to his image and consequently, he has a strong prima facie case for the grant of an ad interim ex-parte injunction to prevent further harm to his reputation.
The Justice Sharma-led Bench was examining as to whether a prima facie case of defamation is made out by Vinay Maheshwari, warranting an injunction to restrain the defendants from publishing or disseminating defamatory content against him.
Noting that Manoj Manchu made several tweets accusing Vinay Maheshwari of fabricating lies, engaging in manipulative behaviour, and targeting his family members, the Delhi High Court said that “these statements, made without any substantiation, are prima facie defamatory”.
Ordering the removal of certain articles published by different media outlets, the Delhi HC said that the articles, portraying Vinay Maheshwari as a central figure in the family conflict and associating him with financial misconduct, damaged “his reputation and professional credibility, causing public mistrust and personal humiliation”.
The dispute arose when Manoj Manchu, embroiled in a family conflict with his father and brother, made defamatory tweets against Vinay Maheshwari, accusing him of manipulation and fabrication without substantiating the claims. These allegations were further disseminated by various digital media platforms and social media users, portraying Vinay Maheshwari as a central figure in the family feud.
In his plea before the Delhi High Court, Vinay Maheshwari claimed that media articles and videos amplified these defamatory claims, adding that these baseless and libellous allegations have caused irreparable harm to his goodwill and reputation.
He contended that he has no involvement in the internal disputes of the Manchu family and is being unfairly targeted to harm his credibility and reputation.
–IANS
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