The Bombay High Court has granted an interim order on the defamation case that was filed by Malabar Group, the parent company of Malabar Gold & Diamonds, surrounding an inflammatory post that was circulating about the brand on social media.
The case was filed against certain parties, who took to their social media handle to instigate a targeted attack on the global jewellery retailer, alleging that the brand was favouring a particular community in its social welfare initiatives and calling for a boycott movement against Malabar Gold & Diamonds.
The jewellery group said that it carried out extensive social welfare activities, including the distribution of educational scholarships to more than 77,000 female students. Even after spending more than Rs256 crores (Rs2,560 million) towards such noble initiatives, the culprits misused a photograph taken from one school in Karnataka to show the brand in a bad light.
Malabar Gold & Diamonds filed an interim application in the Bombay High Court seeking restraint against the false propaganda, claiming that the social media post was intended to cause irreparable damage and harm to the brand’s impeccable reputation. The defamatory post was immediately taken down by the social media companies.
In an urgent hearing held on May 9, Justice Bharati Dangre sided with Malabar Gold & Diamonds, issuing an interim order against the accused.
In the interim order, the justice explained how the allegations of favouritism by Malabar Gold & Diamonds were unfounded and that it was a systematic attempt at tarnishing the reputation of the brand.
Justice Bharati Dangre also at various places in the order, appreciated and applauded the social welfare initiatives that Malabar Gold & Diamonds carried out across all its regions of operation and stated that the fake narratives created by the accused were a deliberate attempt to malign all the good deeds that the brand carries out in society.
The order directed the three main social media platforms through which the post was circulated, namely Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to take down the URLs through which it was shared.
The verdict by the Bombay High Court is a strong statement against malicious parties that intend to misrepresent our noble actions for their own vested interests, commented Malabar Group chairman MP Ahammed.
“We will continue to strongly combat any such attempts at besmirching our good name,” he said.