Published May 16, 2026 | 8:32 PM ⚊ Updated May 16, 2026 | 8:34 PM
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay.
Synopsis: Issuing the order specifying 23 respondents, including Google, Meta, X and several television channels and websites, the Vacation Civil Judge-cum-XXVI Additional Chief Judge of the City Civil Court, Vempati Aparna, also prohibited the publication of any content defaming the petitioner.
A Hyderabad court has ordered the removal and deletion of all defamatory content against Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar in any form from online platforms, social media, television channels, websites or any other medium.
The court issued a second order restraining people and media platforms from circulating allegedly defamatory, false, fabricated, misleading, or harmful content concerning Bandi Sanjay in connection with the controversy involving his son. The order also directed removal of certain posts and content identified in the petition.
Issuing the order specifying 23 respondents, including Google, Meta, X and several television channels and websites, the Vacation Civil Judge-cum-XXVI Additional Chief Judge of the City Civil Court, Vempati Aparna, also prohibited the publication of any content defaming the petitioner.
The John Doe order — applicable to all, including those who were not specified — said, “there shall be ad-interim injunction directing the respondents No. 1 to 23, to remove and delete all the posts in all the media platforms.” The order was issued on Friday, 15 May.
Judge Aparna said that the petition was filed under Order XXXIX Rule 1 and 2 read with Section 151 of the CPC seeking an ex parte ad-interim injunction against defendants No.1 to 23 and their agents, associates, and representatives.
The plea sought immediate removal of alleged defamatory videos, clips, interviews, press meet recordings, statements, social media posts, and other uploaded or circulated content from social media platforms, television channels, websites, and other media platforms.
The court noted that the petitioner had also sought restraint orders against the defendants from publishing, uploading, sharing, broadcasting, or circulating any false, fabricated, misleading, or unverified statements concerning the petitioner, including deletion of the content through the URLs mentioned in the petition schedule.
Bandi Sanjay’s lawyer Karuna Sagar claimed that court has prohibited the media from publishing any content on Bageerath and referring to Bandi Sanjay.
However, the written order did not explicitly prohibit neutral and factual reporting of the case. It did not specifically bar media organisations from naming Bandi Sanjay, reporting verified developments, or covering court proceedings related to the matter.
Legal observers noted that the wording was primarily aimed at restraining defamatory or unverified content rather than completely gaging media from reporting the case.
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After hearing the petitioner’s lawyer, the court granted the ad-interim injunction, which would remain in force till 29 May 2026.
Interpreting the order, petitioner’s counsel Sagar told South First that it meant that no digital or satellite media, or intermediaries such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, could take the name of Bandi Sanjay in any form while referring to his son’s case.
“The first order is a restraining order. The second order directs all digital and satellite media, as well as intermediaries, to take down all content that has been telecast or circulated over the last week, referring to Bandi Sanjay Kumar’s name in any form regarding his son’s case. These are the two orders: one is to take down the content, and the other is to restrain further publication. Any wilful violation will lead to serious contempt charges,” the lawyer said.
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The mother of a 17-year-old girl had alleged that the minister’s son, Bandi Sai Bageerath, had been in a relationship with her daughter and sexually assaulted the minor. Based on her complaint, the Pet-Basheerabad Police registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the POCSO Act.
Vacation Judge Justice T Madhavi Devi of the Telangana High Court, on Friday, said she was not inclined to grant any interim order on Bageerath’s anticipatory bail plea. In a news interview, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said Bageerath has been absconding.
