The Delhi High Court has directed the immediate removal of online content that allegedly spread false claims about the participation of the Chief Justice of India, Supreme Court judges, High Court judges, and Union Ministers in a badminton tournament held in London.
Justice Tejas Karia, hearing a petition filed by the Badminton Association of India (BAI), observed that the material placed before the court indicated a misinformation campaign that could damage public confidence in the judiciary and other institutions.
Background of the Case
The petition was filed by the Badminton Association of India, which sought directions against various online articles, videos, social media posts, and statements concerning the 2nd International Bar & Bench Badminton Championship held in London on June 7, 2026.
According to BAI, several reports and social media posts alleged that senior judges and Union Ministers had travelled to London and participated in the event. The association argued that these claims were factually incorrect and based on misleading information and photographs.
The petitioner pointed to multiple online publications and social media posts that allegedly portrayed the event as an inappropriate association between members of the judiciary and the executive.
Government’s Stand Before the Court
Appearing for the Union Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the court that photographs being circulated online were not from the London event.
The government stated that the images were actually taken during a national-level Bar and Bench badminton tournament held at Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi in November 2025.
It was further submitted that the Chief Justice of India had not participated in any badminton tournament in London and was there only for official engagements. The government also said that the concerned Union Ministers had not travelled to London during the relevant period.
Court’s Observations
After examining the material, the court found prima facie merit in the petitioner’s allegations.
“The impugned content is ex-facie false, malicious and derogatory to the Judiciary, the Executive and the sport of Badminton,” Justice Karia observed.
The court noted that the material appeared to be based on incorrect factual assertions, including the use of unrelated photographs and claims regarding the presence of individuals who were allegedly not part of the London event.
The bench further observed that the questioning of judicial independence on the basis of such content lacked any factual foundation.
“The dissemination of such false and misleading information... has the potential to cause serious and irreversible injury to public confidence in the justice delivery system,” the court said.
Court’s Decision
Granting interim relief, the Delhi High Court directed the Union Government to issue appropriate notifications requiring social media platforms, search engines, digital media platforms, web-hosting services and other intermediaries to remove, block, disable access to, and de-index the identified content within 24 hours of receiving the notification.
The court also ordered intermediaries to preserve subscriber and account-related information of those responsible for uploading the content and furnish the details to authorities for action in accordance with law.
Additionally, uploaders, news portals, bloggers and account holders were restrained from republishing or circulating the impugned material or any substantially similar version of it. Members of the public were also directed not to disseminate the content further.
The matter has been listed for compliance on July 17, 2026.
Case Details
Case Title: Badminton Association of India v. Union of India & Anr.
Case Number: W.P.(C) 8284/2026
Judge: Justice Tejas Karia
Decision Date: June 19, 2026
