The Delhi High Court has ordered the removal of a YouTube video uploaded by Shyam Meera Singh, which allegedly contained defamatory content against the Isha Foundation and its founder, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. The video, titled “Sadhguru EXPOSED: What's Happening in Jaggi Vasudev's Ashram,” was uploaded on February 24, 2025, and gained significant traction online.
The court issued an interim order directing Google LLC (YouTube), X Corp (formerly Twitter), and Meta (Facebook) to take down the video. Justice Subramonium Prasad also restrained Singh from republishing or sharing the content in any form on social media.
The court, after reviewing the video and its contents, observed:
“In the opinion of this Court, the contents mentioned in the video are per se defamatory and directly impinge upon the reputation of the Plaintiff in the eyes of the general public. It falsely alleges practices that are not accepted in society.”
The bench emphasized that reputation is an integral part of an individual’s dignity and that the right to freedom of speech and expression must be balanced with the right to reputation, which is protected under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
Isha Foundation's Legal Stand
The Isha Foundation, represented by Senior Advocate Manik Dogra and a legal team from Athena Legal, argued that the video was based on unverified material and aimed at tarnishing the reputation of the organization. The foundation claimed that the allegations in the video were fabricated and misleading.
As per the foundation’s plea:
- The video was based on an allegedly fake internal email, which the plaintiff had already denied.
- Despite a clarification from the foundation, Shyam Meera Singh proceeded with publishing the video.
- The content had garnered over 937K views, 65K likes, and 13K comments, potentially causing irreversible damage to the foundation’s reputation.
The court referred to the Supreme Court’s guidelines on granting ex-parte injunctions in defamation cases and found merit in the foundation’s request to remove the video immediately. Justice Prasad noted:
“The title of the video, ‘Sadhguru EXPOSED,’ appears to be clickbait designed to attract public attention. Such allegations, when unverified, can cause significant harm to an individual or organization’s reputation.”
Citing the Morgan Stanley Mutual Fund v. Kartick Das case, the court reiterated that an interim injunction is justified when irreparable harm could occur if defamatory content continues to circulate.
Interim Order and Future Proceedings
The court’s interim order includes the following directives:
Google LLC, X Corp, and Meta must remove the video and all related defamatory content.
Shyam Meera Singh is prohibited from republishing or sharing similar content regarding Isha Foundation and Sadhguru.
Public users are restrained from uploading the video or sharing defamatory material related to the case.
The matter has been scheduled for its next hearing on May 9, 2025, while the overall suit will be heard on July 9, 2025.
Title: ISHA FOUNDATION v. GOOGLE LLC & ORS.
