Madras High Court Asks MEITY To Take Down Non-Consensual Intimate Photos & Videos Of Woman Lawyer Posted By Partner Within 48 Hours

The Madras High Court has directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to take down, within 48 hours, the intimate photos and videos of a woman advocate which had been posted online by her partner without her consent.

Justice Anand Venkatesh directed the Ministry to take steps to take down the video within 48 hours and file a compliance report by July 14. The court suo motu impleaded the Director General of Police and decided to issue directions to all stakeholders to ensure that young women are not subjected to such trauma in the future. The court also directed the DGP to create awareness among officers to coordinate with the Meity and remove such images and videos as and when a complaint is registered. 

The judge, who grew emotional during the hearing, also said that he would meet the young lawyer in his chambers. The court admired the strength and grit shown by her in fighting the stereotypes and approaching the court. The judge added that it was fortunate that the lady was a lawyer and had help from the legal community. The judge then wondered about the situation of other victims who suffered in silence without gathering the courage to fight.

The young lady lawyer had approached the court seeking direction to the Ministry to act upon her representation and take all appropriate measures to block and remove the content and issue directions to all intermediaries, websites, pornographic platforms, and telecommunication service providers to remove all the non-consensual images of the woman. 

The woman had informed that she was in a relationship with a man during her college days and had spent intimate moments with him. However, she was not aware that her then partner had recorded the photos and videos of the intimate moment without her consent or knowledge. She further submitted that after her friends informed her that the pictures and videos were being circulated in social media, she had filed a police complaint for taking it down, but no action had been taken based on the complaint. This prompted her to approach the court.

The judge noted that the woman had been subjected to mental agony, and prompt action should have been taken based on the complaint. The judge thus ordered the Ministry to take down the obscene content within 48 hours.

Case Title: XXX v. The Union of India

Case No: WP-25017 of 2025