Delhi High Court Deliberates Defamation Case Involving Union Minister's Daughter and Epstein Link

The Delhi High Court issued a notice to Himayani Puri regarding a defamation suit linking her to Jeffrey Epstein. The case, challenging a previous injunction, will be heard on May 7. The defense argues the injunction was improperly issued without notice, as mandated by the Civil Procedure Code.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday served a notice to Himayani Puri, the daughter of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, concerning an application that seeks to overturn an interim injunction linked to her defamation lawsuit over articles associating her with Jeffrey Epstein. The court has slated the next hearing for May 7.

Representing RTI activist Kunal Shukla, Senior Advocate Vikas Singh and Advocate Mayank Jain contended the injunction violated Civil Procedure Code provisions, specifically pointing out the absence of prior notice under Order XXXIX Rule 3. Justice Mini Pushkarna requested a response from Puri and commented on potentially vacating the temporary injunction.

The lack of a rejoinder from the plaintiff, despite previous court expressions of readiness to argue, was also highlighted—the court noted the obligation to resolve injunction applications within 30 days per the CPC. The High Court had earlier expedited the case, previously heard by a Division Bench, affirming the need for a swift resolution on Shukla's challenge against the interim takedown order affecting India's online platforms.