NCB Officer Sameer Wankhede And Wife File Suit Against Social Media Giants (Google, Twitter and Facebook) To Block Malicious/ Defamatory Content

Narcotics Control Bureau Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede and his wife recently approached the City Civil Court at Dindoshi seeking directions to social media giants Google and Facebook/Meta and Twitter to restrain from displaying or publishing, malicious and defamatory contents against them. In a suit accompanied by a notice of motion, Wankhede is seeking an order under section 79 of the Information Technology Act, and permanently injunction/block individuals attempting to assassinate the couple's character, as also block the derogatory content posted. Wankhede and his wife Kranti Redkar have claimed that channels operating unrestrictedly on the above mediums are being used to spread "sponsored misinformation" by "unscrupulous elements" at the behest of individuals he has acted against. Wankhede claims that these platforms are abdicating their social and moral responsibility as such prurient activities attracts more users and generates more revenue. "I say that the Defendants have failed through their acts of omission to take any steps against the defamation and smear campaigns against myself and Plaintiff No. 2 rampant on their platforms which the Defendants have total control over," the plea states. During the last hearing, Additional Sessions Judge granted Wankhede time to implead the companies' parent companies as defendants after the Indian counterparts contended that they were wrongly added as defendants. The case will now be heard on December 17. The suit filed through Rex Legalis further states that under the IT Act, 2000 and the rules framed, the defendants are required to ensure that misinformation, defamatory and deprecatory statements are not permitted on their platforms. "For this reason I have impleaded the Grievance Officers who are statutorily required to censure such illegal conduct," the suit reads. Lastly, the suit states that these platforms have a social and moral responsibility towards the society at large and especially to the jobless and morally illiterate youth who are following such social media channels and forward the same by way of various messaging applications unknowingly claiming the same to be true and well documented. "Defendants herein are abdicating their duties owing to the fact that such prurient activities taking place on their platform attracts more and more users which in turn generates more revenue for them." "When special investigation teams have been set up (to investigate some drug cases registered by NCB, including the one involving Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan and another involving son-in-law of Nawab Malik) such continued illegal tirade against me and Plaintiff No. 2 (Redkar) is purely intended to discredit me and my official work." "It is only just and fair that the Defendants (social media platforms) be directed to prevent the misuse of their platforms to threaten and defame me for being a Government servant, who has no other remedy," the plea stated. Meanwhile, Sameer Wankhede's father -Dnyandeo's- defamation suit pending before the High Court has sought Rs. 1.25 crore in damages for defaming him and his family, and interim- directions to restrain Malik or anyone acting on his behalf from posting anything "defamatory" against them.

NCB Officer Sameer Wankhede And Wife File Suit Against Social Media Giants (Google, Twitter and Facebook) To Block Malicious/ Defamatory Content

Sharmeen Hakim

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