Delhi High Court To Hear Today Plea Against Fake News On Judges & Law Minister Participating In London Badminton Tournament

The Delhi High Court on Friday agreed to hear a plea concerning the circulation of false information claiming that members of the judiciary and the executive had jointly participated in a badminton tournament in London.

The petition has been filed by the Badminton Association of India, whose counsel mentioned the matter before Justice Tejas Karia for urgent listing.

"There is a fake news circulating. Fact check was done, but it's still circulating. It gives the Court a bad name," the BAI's counsel submitted.

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta, for the respondents, also backed the request for an urgent hearing.  

"Fake news is circulating. It may be listed today," the Solicitor General added.

Taking note of the submissions, the Court agreed to list the matter today, subject to the clearing of the defects by 2:30 PM.

Earlier this month, certain social media users and YouTube channels circulated news that the Union Law Minister had participated in a Badminton tournament held in London on June 7, along with 75 judges.

The Law Ministry later refuted this as fake news and clarified that the Law Minister was present in India on the said date. The Law Ministry further said that old photographs of a Badminton tournament held in Delhi last year were circulated along with the fake news.

The petition filed by the Badminton Association of India seeks the take-down of the certain YouTube videos, online news portal reports, and posts made on X which spread the misinformation.

The petition seeks directions to identify the originators of the allegedly false content, initiate civil and criminal proceedings against them, and permanently remove such material from digital platforms. The BAI has also sought guidelines to ensure prompt action against misinformation concerning the judiciary.

The BAI has particularly objected to a statement issued by the All India Lawyers Union (AILU) on June 11, 2026, which described the event as a "vulgar display of inappropriate and objectionable collaboration" and alleged that it amounted to "Badminton diplomacy" by the Union Government to influence the judiciary. The petition contends that these allegations were made without any factual basis and were intended to undermine public confidence in the judiciary.

Referring to clarifications issued by the Press Information Bureau's Fact Check Unit and the Ministry of Law and Justice, the petition states that claims regarding the participation of Union Ministers in the London event had already been declared false. It notes that photographs circulated in support of such claims were actually from the All India Judges' Badminton Championship held at Thyagaraj Stadium, New Delhi, in November 2025. The Ministry had also clarified that Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal was in Bikaner, Rajasthan, on June 7, 2026, and not in London.

The BAI argues that the impugned publications go beyond fair criticism and amount to an attempt to scandalise the judiciary by portraying judges as compromised without any factual or evidentiary basis. It contends that such misinformation has a direct tendency to erode public confidence in the independence and integrity of the judicial institution and interfere with the administration of justice.