New Delhi, Sep 23: The Delhi High Court has fixed for January 2027 the next hearing in a ₹5 crore defamation case filed by activist and UPSC aspirant Vijay Sherawat against journalist Sudhir Chaudhary, his production company Essprit Productions and DD News.The dispute relates to a television programme and subsequent social media posts concerning remarks allegedly made during a protest organised by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Sherawat has claimed in his lawsuit that he was incorrectly identified in the programme as the person who made statements referring to the destruction of Parliament and the possibility of an India-like situation resembling events in Nepal.
He has denied making the remarks and maintained that they were made by another person at a separate event.During the hearing before Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, Senior Advocate Dayan Krishnan, appearing for Chaudhary and Essprit Productions, told the court that the posts in question had been removed voluntarily.
The defence also informed the court that requests had been sent to social media platforms seeking removal of any copies of the disputed material that may have been uploaded by third parties.
The defendants indicated that they would not object to directions from the court to social media intermediaries concerning removal of the material.Sherawat, however, opposed closing the proceedings and expressed his intention to pursue the defamation case.
His lawsuit alleges that the identity of the person who made the disputed remarks was not adequately verified before the broadcast. It further claims that the footage used in the programme was of insufficient quality to clearly distinguish between the individuals.
Sherawat has also alleged that he was not given an opportunity to respond before the content was aired and subsequently circulated online. According to his pleadings, the circulation of the material was followed by threats against him.
The High Court had earlier issued summons to Chaudhary, Essprit Productions and DD News in connection with the suit and sought their responses to Sherawat’s request for interim relief.At the latest hearing, the court did not adjudicate on the merits of the defamation allegations or determine whether the defendants were legally liable.
With Sherawat seeking continuation of the proceedings, the court has listed the matter for further hearing in January 2027.The case remains pending before the Delhi High Court.
