NEW DELHI — The Delhi High Court on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, ordered the immediate removal of social media content falsely linking Himayani Puri, daughter of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, to the late convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Justice Mini Pushkarna directed that all such defamatory material be taken down within 24 hours.
The court also issued a restraining order against several social media users, prohibiting them from publishing, circulating, or disseminating any further content related to these allegations. If the individuals responsible fail to remove the posts within the stipulated timeframe, the court has mandated that social media platforms—including X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook—must step in to block or remove the content.
“Global Reputation” Under Attack
Himayani Puri, an accomplished finance and investment professional, filed a lawsuit seeking ₹10 crore in damages and an unconditional apology. Her legal team, led by Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, argued that she is being targeted in a “coordinated and malicious online campaign” solely because of her father’s political position.
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Factual Basis: The lawsuit asserts that the claims of any business, financial, or personal links between Ms. Puri and Epstein are “completely false, reckless, and malicious,” with absolutely no factual foundation.
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Irreparable Injury: Justice Pushkarna observed that Ms. Puri has a prima facie case and would suffer irreparable harm to her professional and personal standing if the interim relief was not granted.
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Campaign Timeline: The plea noted that the smear campaign began around February 22, 2026, and was rapidly amplified across various digital news portals and web-based publications.
Context: The “Epstein Files”
The defamatory posts surfaced amidst ongoing global discussions surrounding the “Epstein files”—thousands of pages of travel logs, emails, and recordings from investigations into sex trafficking by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Ms. Puri’s lawsuit clarifies that her name has been baselessly dragged into these conversations through digital manipulation and false associations.
The High Court has listed the matter for further hearing in August 2026, while the current injunction remains in place to prevent any further dissemination of the defamatory material.
