Richaslammed for ‘digital vigilantism’

Delhi High Court slams Bollywood actress Richa Chadha, media for sharing posts alleging sexual harassment by man on IndiGo flight

The Delhi High Court pulled up actress Richa Chadha and media outlets for publicly “shaming” and amplifying unverified allegations against a man accused of sexual harassment by a woman on a Delhi–Mumbai IndiGo flight, Bar and Bench reported.

The incident took place on March 11 when a female journalist accused a man seated next to her of inappropriate physical conduct during the flight.

After the flight landed, the journalist posted the allegation on her X handle, naming the man. She also shared his photograph and professional details. The post soon gained traction, and several news outlets reported on the incident. Richa Chadha reposted the allegations, writing, “Make him famous.”

Regarding Chadha’s post, the court said, “The endorsement and amplification of an unverified allegation, accompanied by the instigatory text ‘Make him famous’, transcends mere free expression and acts as a catalyst for public shaming and digital vigilantism. A public figure bears a legal and moral responsibility to verify the veracity of facts before leveraging her platform to amplify grave accusations.”

The court was hearing a defamation suit filed by the man against an independent journalist, X Corp, OBNews, Google LLC, Meta Platforms, NDTV Hindi, ABP Live, Richa Chadha, and IndiGo Airlines.

The man has denied the allegation, claiming he remained seated throughout the journey and had fallen asleep shortly before landing. 

He later approached the Delhi High Court with a defamation suit against the journalist, Chadha, and several media platforms.

The court noted that Chadha has taken down the post and added that it expects her not to precipitate the issue in the future. Slamming the journalist, the court said revealing the man’s identity along with his photograph before a formal investigation even begins is a serious violation of his fundamental right to dignity and a fair trial.