Delhi High Court Reserves Verdict on Plea Against Fake Posts Linking CJI, Judges and Ministers to London Badminton Trip

June 20, 2026 : The Delhi High Court has reserved its judgment on a petition filed by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) seeking the removal of social media posts and online content falsely claiming that Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, several Supreme Court judges and Union Ministers travelled to London to participate in a government-funded badminton tournament.

Hearing the matter on Friday, Justice Tejas Karia observed that the Central Government has adequate powers under the Information Technology Act, 2000, to issue directions to social media intermediaries for addressing the circulation of misleading content. The Court directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to examine the grievance and take action in accordance with law.

Appearing for the Union Government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the allegations were completely false and had been circulated to create a fabricated narrative involving constitutional authorities. He informed the Court that despite official clarifications and fact-checking efforts, the misinformation continued to spread widely across digital platforms.

According to the petition, viral social media posts falsely alleged that Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Supreme Court Judge Justice Vikram Nath, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and several other judges and government officials had travelled to London to participate in a badminton tournament at public expense.

The Centre clarified that the photographs being circulated online were actually taken during the All India Judges’ Badminton Championship held at Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi in November 2025. These images, it said, were being deliberately misrepresented as photographs from an overseas event.

The Badminton Association of India argued that the misleading posts had caused reputational damage to the judiciary, public institutions and the sporting body. The Union Government further submitted that it may be necessary to identify the individuals responsible for originating and amplifying the false claims.

During the hearing, the Court observed that social media platforms and intermediaries could be directed to provide basic details of users disseminating such content. However, it clarified that any further action against the content or its originators would have to be taken within the statutory framework of the Information Technology Act and under the authority of the Central Government.

After hearing all parties, the Delhi High Court reserved its order in the matter.