1 day ago
Court Orders Meta, X to Preserve Evidence in Defamation Case
A court in Delhi is handling a defamation case between Parvesh Verma and Saurabh Bhardwaj.
The case involves social media posts connected to the S S Mota Singh school.
Bhardwaj’s lawyer asked the court to protect the online evidence.
The lawyer said the evidence could disappear before the court decided the request.
The court told Meta and X to keep copies of the listed posts and related digital information.
It also told Verma and people managing the posts not to delete or change them.
Verma’s lawyer opposed the request.
The court will hear more arguments on September 9, 2026.
A Delhi court ordered Meta and X to preserve digital records linked to Parvesh Verma’s defamation complaint.
The complaint against AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj concerns social media posts about S S Mota Singh school.
The platforms must preserve posts, media files, metadata, server logs, registration records and IP history.
The court also barred Verma, associates and co-administrators from altering or removing the listed material.
The case is scheduled for further arguments on September 9, 2026.
- Who
- Delhi Minister Parvesh Verma filed the complaint against Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj.
- What
- A Rouse Avenue court ordered Meta and X to preserve digital evidence and barred certain parties from altering the listed material.
- Where
- The matter is before the Rouse Avenue court in New Delhi.
- When
- The interim order was issued on September 1; the next hearing is scheduled for September 9, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.
- Why
- Saurabh Bhardwaj’s lawyer argued that the digital material could be deleted before the preservation application was decided.
Saurabh Bhardwaj’s Position
Parvesh Verma’s Position
Preservation of digital evidence
Saurabh Bhardwaj’s Position
Bhardwaj’s lawyer sought urgent preservation, arguing that the application could become meaningless if the material was deleted before it was decided.
Parvesh Verma’s Position
Verma’s lawyer opposed Bhardwaj’s preservation plea.
Defamation complaint
Saurabh Bhardwaj’s Position
Bhardwaj is the proposed accused and is seeking preservation of posts and related records connected to the complaint.
Parvesh Verma’s Position
Verma filed the defamation complaint based on social media posts linked to the S S Mota Singh school.
Key facts
- Court
- Rouse Avenue court, presided over for this order by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal
- Complainant
- Parvesh Verma
- Proposed accused
- Saurabh Bhardwaj
- Platforms involved
- Meta Platforms Inc. and X Corp.
- Records to be preserved
- Posts, media files, metadata, server logs, registration records and IP history
- Restriction
- The complainant, associates and co-administrators cannot delete, hide, edit or otherwise alter the listed material until the next hearing
- Next hearing
- September 9, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.
Quotes
Rouse Avenue court
The court issuing the interim preservation and non-alteration order
“Accordingly, the complainant and his associates and co-administrators are restrained from deleting, de-activating, hiding, restricting access to, editing or otherwise altering any part of the posts, profiles, photographs and reels listed in Tables of the application, till the next date of hearing.”
republicworld.com
Sources
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