The Delhi High Court has issued a directive to a social media user, a woman identified as Deepa Devi, requiring her to remove a post from X platform that alleged finding a centipede in Amul ice cream. The court also imposed a restriction on Deepa Devi and others, prohibiting them from making similar posts on any social media platforms.
In response to a plea filed by the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Limited, the High Court passed an ex-parte order due to the absence of the defendants during the proceedings. Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora instructed Deepa Devi to delete the social media post within three days of the order.
The court further restrained Deepa Devi and other defendants from publishing content identical or similar to the disputed post on X or any other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube until further notice.
In the order issued on July 4, Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora emphasized that Deepa Devi and another defendant are prohibited from disseminating any information related to the plaintiff or its products concerning the incidents mentioned in the lawsuit, either online or through traditional media.
According to senior counsel Sunil Dalal representing the plaintiff federation, stringent quality controls are enforced at every stage of Amul ice cream production, from milk procurement to manufacturing and distribution. These measures ensure that no physical, bacterial, or chemical contaminants are introduced, and that all products comply with the standards set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The court took note of the plaintiff’s willingness to investigate the matter by testing the allegedly contaminated ice cream tub, but Deepa Devi and the other defendant declined to provide the tub for examination.
Despite being served summons and an advance copy of the lawsuit record in June 2024, neither Deepa Devi nor the other defendant appeared in court for the scheduled hearings on June 28 and July 1. The case is scheduled for further hearing on July 22.
