The Delhi High Court has asked YouTuber and journalist Shyam Meera Singh to delete his tweets aganist Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh.
On December 29, 2023, the court had issued a notice to Shyam in response to a defamation plea, which seeks directions to the defendant to remove his YouTube video alleging that Ram Rahim deceived his followers.
In 2017, Ram Rahim was handed 20 years in prison for allegedly raping two women disciples. In 2019, he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his employee Ranjit Singh. In 2021, the Dera chief was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of a journalist.
Vacation judge Manoj Jain directed the defendant (Shyam) to delete the tweets that were posted by him.
“While the matter is sub judice, no further tweets…I want you to be responsible. If he is a journalist, he needs to be responsible. Please do not make any tweets which interfere with the justice delivery system,” Justice Jain remarked.
However, the judge did not pass any orders directing Shyam to delete the video published on YouTube. Ram Rahim initiated the legal action against Shyam for a video uploaded on December 17, 2023, titled "How Gurmeet Ram Rahim fooled his bhakts?"
Shyam’s counsel has sought time to file a reply, and the court said it will consider Ram Rahim’s plea for interim directions after counsels file their reply.
The court will hear the matter next on January 4.
During the last hearing, Justice Shalinder Kaur had also issued a notice to the YouTuber, specifying that notice would be served through email and WhatsApp, and listed the case for further hearing on December 30.
Advocate Rajat Aneja, representing Ram Rahim, had argued that Shyam, despite receiving a legal notice, refused to delete the video and has a history of such offences. He cited a post on X by Shyam on December 24, acknowledging the notice but expressing intent to fight the case in court.
Counsel had contended that the video is disparaging and defamatory.
He had also brought up Shyam's past as a journalist with Aaj Tak, alleging he was fired for insulting the Prime Minister. Aneja further pointed out an FIR filed against Shyam in Uttar Pradesh for insulting the state's Chief Minister.
"He is a habitual offender... after we put him to notice, he puts out a remark/comment on Twitter (now X) saying ‘I’m not going to delete these videos’. Totally defiant. He has been accused by the UP administration also for having insulted the Chief Minister. An FIR came to be registered at the instance of a UP resident," the counsel had said.