New Delhi, 9 April

The Delhi High Court on 9 April directed social media platforms X and Instagram to remove certain posts containing videos of BJP leader Shazia Ilmi, in which she was seen recusing herself from a live news debate and walking out of the shooting frame.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora passed the order after he was informed that some users had uploaded the controversial video despite a judicial order to remove it.

On 4 April, the court said that recording and publishing the portion of the video, in which Ilmi was seen recusing herself from the live debate and walking out of the shooting frame, violates her "right to privacy". The show was hosted by journalist Rajdeep Sardesai.

Sardesai was directed through an interim order to remove the video from his personal X handle by August 2024. On 4 April, the court confirmed the interim order. The court also imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on Ilmi for "deliberately suppressing" the entire facts in her plea.

The controversy started when Ilmi participated in a debate on a news channel hosted by Sardesai on the Agniveer Yojana controversy in July 2024. Ilmi left the show midway after a heated exchange between the two. 

Later, the senior journalist posted a video and a post on X, which Ilmi claimed was objectionable and a violation of his privacy. "The show was over, my consent was over. After this, my private space cannot be recorded without my consent," Ilmi's lawyer had argued in the court.