The Delhi High Court ruled in favor of Amul on ordering the removal of defamatory social media posts made by a woman about Amul Ice Cream.
On June 15, one Deepa Devi from Noida posted on social media, claiming she found a centipede in an Amul Vanilla Ice Cream tub she purchased from Blinkit. In response, the Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation issued a public notice on June 17, stating that they had met with the customer the same day and requested the ice cream tub for investigation, which the customer refused to hand over.
Following the customer’s refusal, Amul filed a suit in the Delhi High Court to defend its reputation and prove the falsity of the customer’s allegations. Amul sought the removal of the defamatory posts and claimed damages against the customer.
Amul presented to the Court that it has been a reputable indigenous brand for several decades, owned by over 3.6 million member farmers. Amul detailed the processes in its facilities, emphasizing that under no circumstances could any insect or foreign body enter its products. The suit also mentioned that following the defamatory post, the customer and her husband demanded large sums of money from Amul. Amul suggested sending the ice cream tub to a forensic lab to verify the customer’s allegations.
On July 1, 2024, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora of the Delhi High Court issued summons to the defendants. Despite being served, the customer did not attend the Court proceedings. On July 4, 2024, the Delhi High Court, noting the defendant’s absence and the potential damage to Amul’s reputation, ordered the deletion of the posts from all social media platforms. The Court further restrained the customer from uploading any similar content or allegations in the future.