Bengaluru Court Orders Temporary Suspension of 'TheLiverDoc' Twitter Account Amid Defamation Suit

A Bengaluru court has issued an interim order directing X Corp (formerly Twitter) to temporarily suspend the Twitter account of Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, also known as TheLiverDoc (@theliverdr), following a defamation suit filed by pharmaceutical and wellness company Himalaya Wellness. Dr. Philips, an Indian hepatologist known for his critical views of alternative medicine on social media, faced this action based on allegations of defaming the company.

The Additional City Civil and Session Judge DP Kumaraswamy, in an order dated September 23, ruled that an interim order was necessary based on the facts presented by the company and legal precedents before issuing notice to Philips.

Himalaya Wellness filed two interlocutory applications, seeking a temporary injunction to prevent Philips from making defamatory statements against the company and to temporarily suspend his Twitter account.

Senior Advocate Uday Holla, representing Himalaya, argued that Philips had been posting derogatory statements and materials against the company, which were negatively impacting its business. Holla alleged that Philips was doing this to promote products from Cipla and Alchem.

The court, in its order, highlighted the seriousness of posting such materials on social media, citing judgments from the apex court and several High Courts. It emphasized the need for interim ex-parte injunctions to remove such content promptly to minimize damage to the company's reputation and finances and to protect consumers.

As a result, the court granted the pleas and restrained Philips from making further statements against Himalaya Wellness. It also directed Twitter to suspend his account until the next hearing scheduled for January 1, 2024.

Author: Anushka Taraniya

News Writer, MIT ADT University