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Social media platform X informed the Delhi High Court on Monday (August 24) that posts allegedly revealing residential address of Cockroach Janta Party's Saurav Das have been taken down from the platform.

The submission was made in Das's lawsuit against commentator Abhijit Iyer Mitra, and certain web portals over allegations of revealing his residential address and personal information on social media.

Justice Sachin Datta issued summons on Das's lawsuit and also issued notice on application seeking interim relief. 

Appearing for Das, senior advocate Akhil Sibal submitted that defendant 1–news portal The Phamphlet's personnel entered into Das's property without his consent and released a video. He said that Defendant 2 (Abhijit Iyer Mitra) added to the video.

Counsel for The Pamphlet submitted that the posts on X (formerly Twitter) are no longer accessible and the platform has taken them down. He said that there were submissions to be made on merit and sought time to file his reply.

Sibal meanwhile urged that the posts which specifically identify Das' address, which have been taken down by Twitter as per their own policy, must not be restored. At this stage the Counsel for X said that the links are no longer accessible, which was recorded by the court. 

The court also permitted Das to amend the memo of parties as well as the plaint for substituting name of the defendant-The Sunday Guardian (which was wrongly mentioned) within three days. 

The suit seeks mandatory and permanent injunction against the defendants, which also include portals such Sunday Guardian, Jaipur Dialogues, Pamphlet and Lawbeat. The suit also names Google LLC and X Corp (formerly Twitter) as defendants.

The suit claims violation of Das' right to privacy, dignity and security. Das has also sought damages against the Defendants for intrusion into and publication of his private life.

Das has claimed that the defendants have unlawfully discovered, recorded, published and repeatedly disseminated his residential address and other deeply personal and sensitive information concerning his background, particulars of parents and his sexuality.

Relying on various videos posted on social media, Das claims that by reason of his journalistic work, disclosures made in the public interest and political engagement, he has been subjected to violent threats and targeted hostility even in the past.

He has said that repeated disclosure and amplification of his precise residential address creates a real and foreseeable risk of his being subjected to violence at and around his home.

As per him, such a disclosure also places other occupants of the premises at risk and has caused him a grave and continuing apprehension for their safety and security.

He has also alleged that the Pamphlet's representatives have trespassed the shared residential premises where he lives and that videos have been recorded of the portions of his house, including the interiors, and have been published on X. 

The matter is next listed on September 14. 

Title: SAURAV DAS v. THE PAMPHLET & ORS

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