Adish Aggarwala Moves Delhi High Court Over Suspension of His WhatsApp Account

Senior Advocate Adish Aggarwala, who earlier served as President of the Supreme Court Bar Association, approached the Delhi High Court challenging the suspension of his WhatsApp account, stating that the action had disrupted both his professional work and access to personal material.

In the petition, Aggarwala asserted that the suspension had been carried out “arbitrary and unilaterally” by the platform, contending that he had been cut off from information stored on the application. He maintained that WhatsApp had taken the step without informing him in advance, which, according to him, deprived him of the chance to retrieve documents relating to his legal practice.

He stated that the account contained legal drafts, briefing notes prepared by advocates, communication regarding Bar Council elections, Bar Association records, and other personal and professional documents, none of which he could extract after the suspension.

Referring to the period during which the suspension occurred, the plea recorded his grievance as follows:

“The arbitrary action of Respondent No. 3 [WhatsApp], particularly during the crucial period of different international conferences in Bangkok, London, Dubai etc and functions in India, has severely hampered the Petitioner’s rights and professional duties, canvassing efforts and fair participation in the election process.”

Aggarwala argued that the conduct of WhatsApp infringed his rights under the Constitution, specifically Articles 14, 19(1)(a), 19(1)(g) and 21, and that the blocking of his account affected his ability to discharge professional obligations and participate in ongoing electoral processes.

The petition was filed through advocate Geeta Rani.