The Delhi High Court has observed that actor Vivek Oberoi appears to have stopped participating in the proceedings of his personality rights lawsuit after securing an interim injunction earlier this year.According to a report by Bar and Bench, the observation came during the hearing of an application filed by X Corp, which sought to exclude two posts on the social media platform X from the scope of the interim order passed in Vivek’s favour on February 5.Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani noted that despite multiple opportunities granted by the court, Vivek did not file any response to X Corp’s plea. At an earlier hearing on July 17, the court had stated that if no reply was filed within seven days, it would presume that the actor had no objection to the application.
Vivek Oberoi’s lawyer withdraws after failing to receive instructions
According to the report, Vivek’s counsel informed the court that repeated efforts to contact the actor had been unsuccessful. The lawyer said the July 17 order had been communicated to Vivek through email, speed post and his manager, but no instructions were received.In view of the lack of communication, the counsel sought permission to withdraw from the case. The High Court allowed the request.Since no response had been filed by Vivek, the court treated his silence as having no objection to X Corp’s application and ruled that the two disputed X posts would no longer remain covered by the February 5 interim injunction. The court observed that the posts had no connection with the actor’s personality rights.
Defendants question wider use of interim injunction
The matter also saw several defendants raise concerns over the scope of the interim order. According to the report, they argued that the injunction had allegedly been used to block links and content unrelated to personality rights.The defendants further claimed that the order extended to news reports concerning allegations involving a company associated with Vivek, affecting access to information relevant to thousands of investors.Taking note of these submissions, the High Court agreed to hear the matter on an expedited basis and listed the interim injunction application for August 17. The defendants have been granted one week to file their replies.
High Court appoints amicus curiae
With Vivek Oberoi no longer represented by legal counsel, the High Court appointed advocate Rohan J. Alva as amicus curiae to assist the court and ensure that the actor’s interests are represented during the proceedings.The court also directed that a copy of its latest order be served on Vivek through the Principal District and Sessions Judge in Mumbai as well as the jurisdictional police authorities.The case is expected to return before the Delhi High Court on August 17, when the court will examine the scope of the interim injunction and consider the objections raised by X Corp and other defendants.
