NEW DELHI — India’s national cricket team head coach and former Member of Parliament, Gautam Gambhir, has approached the Delhi High Court to seek comprehensive protection of his personality and publicity rights against what he describes as a coordinated campaign of digital impersonation and unauthorized commercial exploitation. In a civil suit filed in the court’s Commercial Division, Gambhir has named sixteen defendants, including tech giants Meta, Google, and X, as well as major e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. The petition seeks a permanent injunction to prevent these entities from using or reproducing his name, image, or voice without explicit consent, highlighting a significant surge in fabricated digital content that began in late 2025.
The legal action specifically targets the misuse of advanced artificial intelligence tools, such as face-swapping and voice cloning, which have been used to create realistic videos falsely depicting Gambhir making statements he never made. Among the evidence presented in the suit are several viral deepfake videos, including a fraudulent resignation announcement that garnered over 29 lakh views and doctored clips featuring fabricated remarks about senior cricketers that drew over 17 lakh views. Gambhir contends that these realistic fabrications are being weaponized by anonymous accounts to spread misinformation and generate unauthorized revenue, thereby causing irreparable damage to his professional reputation and personal dignity.
Beyond social media content, the suit also flags the unauthorized commercial exploitation of Gambhir’s persona through the sale of unlicensed posters and merchandise on e-commerce sites. The petition invokes several legal frameworks, including the Copyright Act of 1957, the Trade Marks Act of 1999, and the Commercial Courts Act of 2015. Gambhir’s legal team is drawing upon a robust body of jurisprudence from the Delhi High Court, citing landmark rulings involving public figures such as Amitabh Bachchan, Anil Kapoor, and Sunil Gavaskar, which established personality rights as enforceable proprietary rights that extend to protection against AI-driven exploitation.
In addition to seeking a permanent injunction, Gambhir has requested an immediate ex-parte ad-interim order for the takedown of all infringing material and a freeze on its further dissemination pending a final hearing. He is also claiming damages amounting to ₹2.5 crore along with a rendition of accounts from those profiting from his likeness. Highlighting the broader implications of the case, Gambhir stated that the matter transcends personal hurt and addresses critical concerns regarding legal protection and dignity in the era of generative AI. The Delhi High Court is expected to take up the matter for consideration of interim relief in the coming days.
