Mumbai Police have issued legal notices to 24 users on social media platform X for circulating a controversial documentary produced by Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia. The police intervention came after a formal complaint alleged that misleading and defamatory claims concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani had been published and shared widely online. Issued on October 18, the notices directed both the account holders and the platform to review the disputed posts urgently and either delete the material or restrict access to it.
Complaint Alleges Defamation and Damage to Goodwill
The action was initiated by the cyber police following a formal complaint stating that objectionable posts targeting a prominent business conglomerate had been distributed through multiple X handles. The URLs cited in the notices directed users to Bhatia’s social media account. According to the complaint, the posts included false, misleading, and disparaging statements made without factual or legal justification, resulting in ongoing harm to the company’s reputation, goodwill, and public image.
Invocation of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Provisions
The legal notices cited Sections 352 and 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Section 352 relates to intentional insult aimed at provoking a breach of the peace, while Section 356 pertains to defamation. The police noted that circulating such material could also breach the operational guidelines of the platform. While several account holders subsequently removed the video clips, others posted copies of the notices on their profiles, criticising the police measures as an excessive intervention in online discourse.
Hotmail Co-Founder Defends Post on Public Grounds
Bhatia confirmed that Mumbai Police instructed him to take down specific posts and that he complied with the directive. However, he questioned the rationale behind the enforcement, arguing that the material in question had drawn attention to alleged corruption at senior levels of authority. The entrepreneur stated that citizens are finding it increasingly difficult to speak freely on matters of public concern, warning that such measures undermine fundamental freedoms and hinder efforts to address national challenges.
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