AI ‘Dimagi Naxal’ Post Row: Delhi HC Warning Leaves CJP In Trouble Over Gaurav Bhatia Case

Delhi HC asks CJP members to remove posts against BJP leader Gaurav Bhatia and warns against unverified allegations. Court issues summons in Rs 2 crore defamation case.

Post Published By: Sreeja Chowdhury

Updated : 10 September 2026, 2:54 PM IST

Delhi High Court hearing in Gaurav Bhatia’s defamation case over a controversial AI-generated social media post (Img: Pinterest)

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has taken note of controversial social media posts made by Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Das against BJP leader and senior advocate Gaurav Bhatia. During the hearing of a defamation case, the court observed that making allegations without verification was not appropriate and accepted an undertaking from CJP members to remove the disputed content.

Court Questions Unverified Claims

A bench of Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said that criticism and protests are part of public discourse, but allegations should be made carefully after proper verification. The court advised young activists to express their views in a more responsible manner instead of getting involved in unnecessary legal disputes.

The court observed that there are several ways to raise concerns and that statements made without checking facts can create avoidable controversies.

AI-Generated Post Triggered Legal Battle

The controversy started after Saurav Das shared an AI-generated graphic on social media platform X, claiming that Gaurav Bhatia had called influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj a "dimagi naxal". Bhatia denied making such a statement and filed a defamation suit against Das, CJP co-convenor Ashutosh Ranka and founder Abhijit Dipke.

Following legal action, Das removed the post and stated that the graphic was AI-generated. He also questioned whether Bhatia disagreed with the statement attributed to him.

CJP Members Agree To Remove Posts

During the hearing, Das and Ranka assured the court that the posts would be taken down within 24 hours. The court said it did not want to pass a direct takedown order at this stage as the defendants had agreed to remove the content themselves.

The court also directed social media platforms Meta and X to remove identical posts in the future if they are flagged by Bhatia.

Defamation Case Moves Forward

While the court accepted the undertaking, it issued summons to Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Abhijit Dipke, seeking their response in the Rs 2 crore defamation case.

The matter comes amid a broader political dispute involving online statements, protests and allegations between different groups.