The Bombay High Court has ordered social media platforms and news agencies to remove all defamatory posts and malicious content published against Malabar Gold & Diamonds in connection with its new showroom opening in the UK.

A malicious campaign was unleashed on social media platforms against Malabar Gold & Diamonds, which utilized the service of a local social media influencer to promote its brands in London. The brand has moved the Bombay HC against this campaign and secured an interim order directing some media groups and social media organizations to withdraw and remove such defamatory news and reports from their platforms and websites.

Malabar Gold & Diamonds had hired the service of a company to coordinate its promotional activities when it opened a new showroom in Birmingham in the UK. This local company was solely responsible for selecting the social media influencers for the brand promotion. The brand argued in the court that some vested interest groups are deliberately disseminating false news and defamatory reports against the jewellery group during the festive season to tarnish its brand value and reputation.

Senior advocate Naushad Engineer, who appeared for Malabar Gold & Diamonds, argued that just because the jewellery group utilized the services of a UK-based social media influencer for brand promotion at some point, it can’t be subjected to such malicious campaigns by its competitors. Admitting this argument, Bombay HC judge Justice Sandeep V Marne issued a stern warning against such move, directing the concerned media organisations to withdraw and remove all defamatory news, reports and content that are published and in the public domain. The HC order also restrains publication of any printed material in this regard. The media organizations include Meta Platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram), Google (YouTube), X (formerly Twitter) and news agencies The Pamphlet, Only Fact, Latest Newspaper Agency, ABC Malayalam News, Jab Studios and Ashok Kumar.