Delhi High Court Orders Removal of Deepfake Videos of Dr. Naresh Trehan
The Delhi High Court issued an interim injunction ordering the removal of deepfake videos featuring Dr. Naresh Trehan and Medanta Hospital's trademark from social media. The videos allegedly misrepresented the cardiac surgeon as endorsing unapproved remedies for urological conditions to mislead the public into purchasing unverified products.
What happened
The Delhi High Court issued an interim injunction on January 8, 2025, ordering the removal of deepfake videos featuring Dr. Naresh Trehan and Medanta Hospital's trademark from social media platforms.
Justice Mini Pushkarna directed that if the individuals responsible for posting or sharing the videos did not delete them within one day, social media companies must comply with removal within 36 hours of receiving the court's order.
Reported impact
The deepfake videos allegedly misrepresented Dr. Trehan, a cardiac surgeon, as endorsing remedies for urological conditions, with the intent to deceive the public into purchasing unapproved medicines.
The court recognized potential harm to Medanta Hospital's reputation from the misuse of its trademark and the physician's likeness for fraudulent commercial purposes.
Index analysis
The videos were created using deepfake technology to fabricate medical endorsements by Dr. Trehan for unverified medical products.
Governance controls
The Delhi High Court found that the plaintiffs had made a compelling case for an interim injunction and determined that failing to grant it would cause irreparable harm, with the balance of convenience favoring the plaintiffs.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.