Delhi High Court Orders Google & Media to De-Index All Articles Naming Man Cleared in ED’s Moser Baer Case

A Delhi court has taken a major step towards recognising the right to be forgotten by directing Google, India Kanoon, and several media organisations to delete or de-index online content linking a man to the Moser Baer money laundering case.

Principal District and Sessions Judge Anju Bajaj Chandna of the Patiala House Courts noted that the man had already been discharged by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and continuing to show his name online was harming his dignity and reputation.

The Court said that digital information stays accessible forever, and in this case, it served no public purpose. Instead, it was causing unnecessary damage despite the man being cleared of all allegations.

The judge observed that once a person has been exonerated, the law must allow them to live with dignity without being constantly judged by outdated online reports.

Keeping this in mind, the Court issued an interim order blocking and removing all URLs mentioned in the plaint until the final decision in the suit.

The defendants included major media houses such as ANI, Indian Express, Times Group, The Print, Hindustan Times, NDTV, The Hindu, along with Google, India Kanoon, and unidentified parties.

The plaintiff submitted that even though he was discharged, online articles continued to portray him as an accused, affecting his career and social image.

Some defendants argued that the suit was filed too late and that the press had freedom to publish news. The Court rejected these objections, stating that the permanent nature of online data unfairly extends the impact of past allegations on a person who has already been cleared.

The Court therefore ordered the removal and blocking of content to prevent further harm.