Banihal, June 16: A court in Banihal has ordered the immediate removal of a viral Facebook video allegedly containing defamatory remarks against a retired education officer and restrained further publication of unverified content concerning him.
The order was passed by Munsiff Banihal Sonali Sharma in a civil suit filed by Manzoor Ahmad Wani, a retired Zonal Education Officer and resident of Darshipora, Banihal. Wani has sought ₹5 lakh as damages, alleging defamation, mental harassment and loss of reputation.
According to the suit, a video uploaded on the Facebook page “JK News Parwaaz” on May 17 contained allegations linking the retired officer to damage of public property and other financial irregularities. The plaintiff denied the claims, describing them as false and baseless, and contended that the video had caused serious harm to his reputation.
The suit names Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Itoo, Aarif Waheed Naik, administrator of the Facebook page “JK News Parwaaz”, and Facebook India Online Services Private Limited as defendants.
After examining the material placed on record, the court directed the concerned page administrator and Facebook India to immediately block public access to the disputed video link. The court also restrained the defendants from publishing or circulating any further unverified content targeting the plaintiff until further orders.
The court observed that the contents of the video prima facie affected the reputation of the plaintiff and noted the need to prevent further dissemination of the material. The matter has been listed for further proceedings on July 25, 2026.
