Bombay HC restrains lawyer from impersonating Sonu Nigam: Case explained
What's the story
In a major relief for singer Sonu Nigam, the Bombay High Court has issued a restraining order against a social media user who was allegedly impersonating him on X (formerly Twitter). The user in question is Sonu Nigam Singh, a criminal lawyer from Bihar. He has been posting controversial content under the handle 'Sonu Nigam,' causing confusion among fans and media alike.
Legal action
Nigam moved court after backlash over posts
Nigam had moved the court alleging that his personality rights were being infringed upon by Singh. The singer approached the court after facing backlash over posts actually made by Singh, which many wrongly attributed to him. On Friday, Justice RI Chagla granted an ex-parte interim order in Nigam's favor, directing Singh to show his full name on the platform to avoid misrepresentation.
Misrepresentation
'Don't dub...': Singh's post targeted BJP MP Tejasvi Surya
Nigam's lawyer argued that Singh had deliberately concealed his identity while writing about sensitive issues. He presented 14 examples of communal posts made by Singh and underlined that he had gained over 90,000 followers by exploiting Nigam's name. One such post targeted BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, which stated: "Don't dub Kannada movies in Hindi! Don't release Kannada movies pan-India! Do you have the guts to say this to Kannada film stars, Mr. @TejasviSurya or are you just another language warrior?"
Online harassment
Nigam had quit X back in 2017
Nigam's lawyer further pointed out that Singh's misrepresentation has resulted in constant online abuse and hate aimed at the singer and his family. "Because of Sonu Nigam Singh replying to the posts... Look at the hate Sonu Nigam is getting. Absolute chaos, My Lord. This is what the plaintiff is facing every day," he told the court. Notably, Nigam had quit X back in 2017 and is only active on Instagram now.