New Delhi: The High Court, while hearing a defamation plea filed by Himani Puri, has directed that social media posts containing alleged defamatory content be removed or blocked if users fail to take them down.
The court observed that the case, at first glance, appeared to be in favour of Puri and noted that denial of interim relief could cause her irreparable harm. The next hearing in the matter has been scheduled for August.
Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for the complainant, argued that Puri enjoys a “global reputation” as a financial expert and must be protected. He submitted that the allegations against her were “completely false, baseless and defamatory.”
In her petition, Puri has sought damages of ₹10 crore and directions to restrain multiple entities from publishing or circulating defamatory material. She has also demanded an unconditional apology and withdrawal of the claims.
The plea stated that since around February 22, 2026, a coordinated online campaign had been carried out across platforms such as X, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, as well as digital news portals, to spread misleading and defamatory content.
Puri alleged that she was being falsely linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his crimes through what she described as a “malicious and coordinated smear campaign.” She maintained that the claims suggesting any direct or indirect association with Epstein were entirely fabricated and without factual basis.
The petition further stated that she had been targeted despite her professional credentials, adding that the allegations were damaging to her personal and professional reputation.
