Mumbai Court Directs Immediate Takedown of CarryMinati’s Videos on Karan Johar

A Mumbai court has directed YouTuber Ajey Nagar, popularly known as CarryMinati, and others to immediately remove videos containing allegedly defamatory and abusive remarks against filmmaker Karan Johar.

The order was passed by Principal Sessions Judge PG Bhonsale on February 9, in a case filed by Johar through Apoorva Mehta, CEO of Dharma Productions.

What Was the Dispute About?

Johar approached the court claiming that certain social media influencers had uploaded videos on YouTube making defamatory, vulgar and abusive statements about him. According to the plea, the language used in the videos was highly offensive and damaged his reputation.

Although Nagar argued that the videos had already been removed and that there was no need for court intervention, Johar submitted that the content had already been viewed by millions. He also pointed out that unknown persons were creating reels and circulating clips of the same videos across different social media platforms.

Court’s Observations

The court noted that, at first glance, it appeared that defamatory statements and vulgar language had been used against Johar.

The judge stated that such videos must be taken down immediately. The court further observed that an injunction should apply not only to the original creators but also to those who circulate or re-circulate the content on social media.

Accordingly, the court passed an ad-interim injunction restraining the defendants and even unnamed individuals (John Doe parties) from posting or sharing any defamatory content against Johar until the matter is heard further.

Directions to Social Media Platforms

The court also directed Meta Platforms to take down the flagged video links. Legal representatives also appeared on behalf of Google LLC during the proceedings.

The case will now proceed further when the court considers Johar’s application for interim relief in detail.