Karnataka High Court Upholds Defamation Case Over Fake Social-Media Accounts for Online Harassment

The Karnataka High Court recently dismissed a plea by Pramod Shivashankar to quash a criminal defamation complaint alleging that he created fake social-media accounts to defame his sister-in-law.

The trial court had charged him under Section 499 & 500 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 66 (c), 66(d) and 67(A) of the Information Technology Act.

The victim’s complaint stated that fake accounts were created portraying her as a call-girl and posting defamatory messages accessible to the public.

Rejecting the argument that online impersonation protected him from defamation liability, the High Court held that the creation and operation of such fake digital identities, causing reputational harm, may constitute defamation.

[Pramod Shivashankar v ABC]