Overview:
Sunil Gavaskar has approached the Delhi High Court to prevent the misuse of his personal identity.
On Friday, the Delhi High Court directed online intermediaries to consider Sunil Gavaskar’s legal action as a valid complaint and initiate the procedure for removing content alleged to be infringing. While hearing the matter, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora reaffirmed her consistent position that litigants are required to approach intermediaries directly before seeking relief from the court. She accordingly advised the plaintiff to first notify the intermediaries, after which the court would examine the issue further.
“There was no reason for the parties to avoid the complaint process when a proper mechanism already exists for addressing such issues,” the judge said.
The court indicated that the redressal process run by intermediaries would settle the bulk of the dispute, leaving only the remaining overs for judicial scrutiny. “This allows the court to decide the matter with clarity instead of proceeding without proper guidance,” Justice Arora added.
The Court took note of the assurance given by the online platforms that Basic Subscriber Information (BSI) along with corresponding IP records, would be disclosed. Consequent to this submission, the Court directed the entities arrayed as Defendants 7, 10, and 11 to register the suit as a formal grievance and conclude their determination in seven days.
The Court has directed the plaintiff, acting through learned counsel, to submit the exact internet addresses of the disputed content in two days. The concerned platforms shall communicate their decision in one week from the date of receipt of the said details. The next hearing is on December 22.
Appearing on behalf of Gavaskar, Senior Advocate Gopal Jain submitted that the relief sought pertains to the protection of Gavaskar’s personal identity and public image rights. The disputed material includes invented critical statements wrongly attributed to him about Gautam Gambhir and other cricketers, in addition to a false remark relating to Virat Kohli.
Sunil Gavaskar has approached the Delhi High Court to prevent the misuse of his personal identity. The petition seeks injunctive relief against unauthorised use of his name, image, voice, and personal characteristics, with a specific focus on online platforms. The case marks the first instance of an Indian cricketer invoking personality rights, signalling a broader application of such claims outside the film industry.
In recent times, the Delhi High Court has strengthened the legal framework governing personality rights by issuing notable decisions in favour of prominent public figures such as Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Anil Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan, and content creator Raj Shamani. These rulings emphasize an individual’s authority over commercial use of their persona in the digital era.
The Court has also examined the risks posed by newer modes of identity misuse, such as AI-driven deepfake content, voice replication technologies, digitally fabricated imagery, and unlicensed virtual merchandise.