Women advt video case order. MR. JUSTICE M.DHANDAPANI W.P. NO.25017 OF 2025 AND W.M.P. NOS. 28191 & 28194 OF 2025 X .. Petitioner – Vs – 1. The Union of India

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATE : 22.10. 2025
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.DHANDAPANI
W.P. NO.25017 OF 2025
AND
W.M.P. NOS. 28191 & 28194 OF 2025
X .. Petitioner
– Vs –
1. The Union of India
Rep. By the Secretary to Government
Ministry of Electronics & Information
Technology, 6, Lodhi Road
CGO Complex, Pragati Vihar
Electronics Niketan, New Delhi 110 003.
2. The Director General of Police Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai Mylapore, Chennai 600 004.
(R-2 – Impleaded Suo Motu vide
Order of Court dated 9.7.2025) .. Respondents
Writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying this Court to issue a writ of mandamus directing the respondents herein to act upon the petitioner’s representation dated 18.6.2025 by taking all appropriate measures, including, but not limited to blocking/removing/issuing take down notices/issuing directions to all concerned intermediaries / websites / pornographic platforms / telecommunication service providers to forthwith and on a continuing basis detect, remove and block all content depicting the petitioners non-consensual intimate images and videos (NCII) which are being uploaded, shared, re-uploaded, transmitted or distributed over the internet and digital platforms by employing technological solutions such as Hash Matching Technology, Artificial Intelligence based content, recognition tools including Photo DNA, Google content safety, Hash checkers, or any other similar tools or mechanisms so as to ensure the effective removal of such content and to prevent its further dissemination on any internet or digital platform at present and in the future.
For Petitioner : Mr. Abdu Kumar Rajaratnam
For Respondents : Mr. A.Kumaraguru, SPC for R-1
Mr. E.Raj Tilak, APP, assisted by Mr.S.Balaji, GA for R-2
ORDER
The sequence of events leading to the filing of the writ petition and also the various deliberations that had unfolded leading to the orders passed by this Court does not require to be detailed once over here, as it would be nothing but rubbing the wound that had already been inflicted on the petitioner by unscrupulous elements by using the digital platform, which has hitherto fore expanded in multifarious directions, but suffice only to concentrate on the issue of curbing the menace that had happened to the petitioner from recurring to any other women and children.
2. Series of orders have been passed by this Court dating back to July, 2025, wherein this Court, considering the seriousness of the issue, more particularly, affecting the fundamental rights of the petitioner under Article 21 of the Constitution, whereby her personality is sought to be tarnished, had issued directions to the 1st respondent to take up appropriate measures to curb the mushrooming of the offensive video on the various websites, which is being uploaded, shared, transmitted and distributed over the digital platforms and to remove the said content from the digital platforms.
3. Incidentally, the Court also directed the 1st respondent to find out the ways in which the acts, as has taken place in the present writ petition could be curbed and the manner in which the affected victim could approach the concerned authority for dissemination of the offensive content uploaded in the digital platforms could be deleted/blocked from being
shared/distributed. For the said purpose, though directions were issued with regard to the relief sought for by the petitioner, but the writ petition was kept pending so as to enable the 1st respondent to come out with guidelines for curbing such acts.
4. It transpires from the further orders passed by my predecessor that the 1st respondent is in the process of formulating the Standard Operating Procedure for combating dissemination of Non-Consensual Intimate Images and Videos in the digital platforms in line with Clause (b) of Sub-Rule (2) of rule 3 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines & Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Further, directions were also issued to effectively block the videos/images, pertaining to the petitioner, which resurfaces in other websites on it being shared/distributed and also to ensure that it does not resurface again.
5. Thereafter, the matter came up before this Court on 11.9.2025 on which date, learned counsel for the respondents submitted that a Standard Operating Procedure is under preparation and it will be submitted before this Court and sought a short accommodation and it was also further informed that further sites, in which the videos/images had resurfaced, steps have been taken to block the same.
6. Pursuant to the submissions advanced on behalf of the 1st respondent on the earlier hearings, the 1st respondent has filed a Standard Operating Procedure to curtail dissemination of Non-Consensual Intimate
Imagery (NCII) content (for short ‘SOP’), which has been framed under Clause
(b) of Sub-Rule (2) of Rule 3 of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines & Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.
7. This Court perused the SOP from which it is seen that the victims can either approach the intermediaries, or make a report to the National Cybercrime or to the law enforcement agencies. It is further evident from the
SOP that various steps have been detailed in and by which request can be made by the victims for NCII content removal and the manner by which action to be taken by the intermediaries as per the provisions of the Information Technology Rules, 2021. The SOP also details the manner in which cybercrime is to be reported for which a portal, viz., National Cybercrime Reporting Portal has been created under the aegis of 14C (MHA), either through online mode (at www.cybercrime.gov.in) or by dialling the toll free number 1930 or otherwise the victim could approach the law enforcement agencies for filing a complaint and registering the same. Further, the manner in which general coordination and follow up is to be made is also provided. It is therefore clear that the SOP, which has been framed, has taken into consideration the contingent situation of the victims and provided choices of approach to the victims and the manner in which action is to be undertaken by the respective authorities. Therefore, what is left over is only action on the part of the respective authorities in following the SOP and redressing the complaints espoused by the victims, which this court hopes and trusts, will be scrupulously followed by the various entities, which have been entrusted with the said task.
8. Insofar as the present case is concerned, it is brought to the notice of this Court that the websites/digital platforms in which the offensive content of the petitioner are alleged to have been shared/uploaded have been blocked and it is further submitted by the learned counsel for the respondents that if any other websites in the digital platform, which has the video/image of the petitioner, is brought to its notice, immediate steps would be taken to block the said sites, as has been ordered by this Court through its various orders. The said stand of the respondents is taken on record and recorded.
9. In such view of the matter, no further orders are required to be passed in the present petition concerning the petitioner and suffice to hold that if the video/image of the petitioner resurfaces in any other websites, upon the same being brought to the notice of the respondents, steps shall be taken to block the same forthwith and the petitioner shall not be made to seek for legal redressal once over.
10. Insofar as the SOP is concerned, it is to be stated that the victims of NCII content ought to be made known about the procedure, which has been formulated by the 1st respondent so that the said victims could take effective action by following the steps detailed in the SOP. In such view of the matter, this Court directs the respondents to take steps to give extensive publicity with regard to the framing of the SOP through print and electronic media so that the framing of SOP is brought to the notice of the victims, who can work out their remedy by following the procedure prescribed in the SOP. Further, the respondents shall ensure that as and when any of the victims approach them under the SOP, diligent steps shall be taken by the respondents to alleviate the grievance of the victims, without forcing them or pushing them to resort to legal remedies as the dignity of women and children as enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India is safeguarded.
11. With the aforesaid observations and directions, this writ petition stands disposed of. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petitions are closed. There shall be no order as to costs.
22.10.2025
Index : Yes / No
GLN
To
1. The Secretary to Government
Ministry of Electronics & Information
Government of India
Technology, 6, Lodhi Road
CGO Complex, Pragati Vihar Electronics Niketan, New Delhi 110 003.
2. The Director General of Police Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai
Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. 
M.DHANDAPANI, J.
GLN
W.P. NO.25017 OF 2025
22.10.2025