Thread by @barandbench

#DelhiHighCourt is expected to hear shortly a petition by historian @vikramsampath alleging that despite Court's order, historian @AudreyTruschke has been posting defamatory content against him.
#vikramsampath

The case was mentioned by Sampath's counsel today and the Court decided to give a hearing.
Justice Amit Bansal to start the hearing soon.
#vikramsampath

In the last hearing, the Court had directed @Twitter to take down five of Truschke's tweets.
Sampath's counsel has informed the Court today that Truschke has violated the Court's orders.

#vikramsampath #audreytruschke

Hearing starts.
#vikramsampath #audreytruschke

Counsel appearing for twitter asks the case to be taken up on Monday.

Counsel for Sampath informs that he has moved a new application stating that Truschke has posted content against Sampath on Facebook and other social media platforms.

Counsel: She is circulating a google documents saying some 135 academicians have written a letter in her favour. But there are four or five people who have said that they did not sign any such letter.
Bench: Show us the document.

Bench: Who is the author of this letter?

Counsel: There are people who have said that they did not sign this letter. This includes @Ram_Guha
Counsel reads Guha's tweet.
#vikramsampath #audreytruschke

Bench: Who else apart from Ram Guha?
Counsel: There is a student of Delhi University as well.
#vikramsampath #audreytruschke

Counsel: Then there is @pbmehta Mehta who also said he never signed it.
#vikramsampath #audreytruschke

Counsel: This letter was a google document and circulated everywhere.
Bench: Does a google document needs to be signed? Who's put this?
Counsel: Truschke.

Bench: If the name is wrongly mentioned, let's see there are 100 names, and few say they have not signed it, it does not mean there is any defamatory content.

Bench: Ultimately, you can't stop the world. You can't curtail the opinions that appear on social media. I am not willing to pass any orders.
#vikramsampath #audreytruschke

Counsel now refers to some of Truschke's tweets.
#vikramsampath #audreytruschke

Bench: I don't find anything defamatory in this letter, if she (Truschke) is posting it there is nothing wrong in that.
#vikramsampath #audreytruschke

Bench: You keep filing a new application every day. Everyone is allowed to have a view on this.
Counsel: But people like Ram Guha have said they did not sign it.

Counsel: She is continuously defaminng me. I am an academician.
Bench: Don't keep filing applications about all this. If she has posted this letter, it is not defamatory.

Bench: You have identical prayers in your applications. Why are you making similar prayers?

Bench: Open your earlier applications where you have prayed for the same reliefs.

Advocate Raghav Avasthi (for Sampath) joins the proceedings.
Bench: You can't curtail the subject of discussion in academic world. if the academicians feel or have a view that you have plagiarised something, then you can't seek injunction against thousand people.

Awasthi: It's not about academicians. Defamatory content is being posted.
Bench: Okay, we will issue notice.

Counsel for defendants says he was not informed about the mentioning.
Bench: Okay, you accept notice and file a response.
Hearing over.

[Vikram Sampath v. Audrey Truschke] "You can't curtail discussion in academic world:" Delhi High Court to Sampath

report by @prashantjha996

#vikramsampath #AudreyTruschke @vikramsampath @AudreyTruschke

Read story: bityl.co/BB9y