New Delhi, Feb 23 (IANS): The Delhi High Court has issued an order to various media outlets, social media platforms, and search engines to remove defamatory and allegedly morphed images of a woman BJP MLA from Bihar.

The interim order, issued by Justice Prateek Jalan, comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the MLA, alleging the circulation of manipulated photographs depicting her in close proximity to a political associate, which she claims were digitally altered.

Justice Jalan's decision mandates the immediate cessation of publication and distribution of the controversial images, saying, however, that this injunction does not obstruct factual reporting related to the viral spread of the images or legal proceedings surrounding the matter.

The court has also specifically directed Meta to remove a URL associated with the images on its platform within a week.

Moreover, the order extends to unidentified defendants, who have been warned against further dissemination of the contentious images or any similar content targeting the plaintiff.

During the proceedings, Senior Advocate Rajshekhar Rao, representing the MLA, argued for an ad interim order to remove the images and prevent further similar publications.

In contrast, Advocate Umesh Burnwal, representing the accused political associate, denied his client's involvement in the publication of the images but did not object to their removal.

Noting the lack of accountability for the images' veracity and the potential damage to the MLA's reputation and privacy, Justice Jalan stressed the necessity of interim relief to prevent irreparable harm to the plaintiff.