Himayani Puri, daughter of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, files a ₹10-crore defamation suit in the Delhi High Court seeking removal of online posts linking her to Jeffrey Epstein. The case raises questions about misinformation, digital accountability, and reputational damage.
A major legal battle over online misinformation has emerged in India after Himayani Puri, daughter of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, filed a defamation suit before the Delhi High Court seeking removal of digital content that allegedly links her to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The civil suit, which seeks damages of ₹10 crore, requests the court to direct social media platforms and digital intermediaries to remove allegedly defamatory material circulating online. The content includes news reports, social media posts, videos, and other online publications suggesting that Himayani Puri had direct or indirect connections with Epstein and his criminal activities.
Allegations Termed False and Malicious
In her legal petition, Puri has described the allegations as “completely false, malicious and without any factual basis.” According to the filing, several posts that began circulating on the internet around February 22, 2026, have attempted to portray her as being linked to Epstein through supposed business, financial, or personal associations.
The lawsuit claims that these allegations were deliberately fabricated and amplified through manipulated digital content. It states that edited videos, misleading captions, and provocative thumbnails were widely shared online to generate maximum public outrage and severely damage her reputation.
Puri’s legal team has argued that such content has been circulated by both identifiable and unidentified individuals across multiple platforms, causing significant reputational harm.
Legal Action Against Social Media Platforms
The suit names several major technology companies as intermediaries responsible for hosting or disseminating the disputed content. These include Google, Meta Platforms, LinkedIn, and X.
Puri has asked the court to order these platforms to remove all existing posts that link her to Epstein and ensure that similar defamatory material is taken down promptly whenever it is reported in the future.
Her plea also seeks a permanent injunction preventing further circulation of such claims across digital platforms.
Claim of Targeted Attacks
The petition further asserts that the allegations against her are part of a targeted campaign. According to the lawsuit, the attacks intensified primarily because of her family background and her father’s role as a senior cabinet minister in the Union government.
The plea argues that the defamatory material is being used to malign her reputation and indirectly target her father in the political sphere.
Political Context and Epstein Controversy
The legal dispute comes at a time when renewed global attention has focused on the Epstein case following fresh document releases in the United States. The controversy resurfaced after Donald Trump, who currently serves as President of the United States, signed legislation mandating the public release of investigative files related to Epstein.
As part of the transparency process, the United States Department of Justice released more than three million pages of records connected to the Epstein investigation after reviewing vast amounts of evidence gathered over several years.
Epstein, once a wealthy and influential financier, was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking involving underage girls. He died in a New York jail the same year while awaiting trial, in a case that was officially ruled a suicide.
His long-time associate Ghislaine Maxwell was later convicted for her role in recruiting and grooming victims.
Political Repercussions in India
In India, the renewed discussion surrounding the Epstein files triggered political controversy. Opposition leaders, including members of the Indian National Congress, had earlier demanded the resignation of Hardeep Singh Puri after claims surfaced that his name appeared in documents linked to the Epstein investigation.
However, the minister and his supporters have strongly denied any wrongdoing or association with the disgraced financier.
Court Hearing Expected
The matter is expected to come up for hearing before the Delhi High Court on Tuesday. The court will likely examine whether the online content in question constitutes defamation and whether digital platforms should be directed to remove it.
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Legal experts say the case could become an important test for India’s evolving legal framework on digital defamation, misinformation, and platform accountability in the age of viral social media narratives.
