Today, the Delhi High Court issued a directive to the news portal 'The Wire,' mandating the removal of an article regarding the city’s Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar. The article had raised doubts about his involvement in an alleged land acquisition case.

Justice Sachin Datta has temporarily granted an injunction favoring Kumar in his lawsuit against the news portal.

"I have granted an interim injunction. The defendants no. 1 and 2 (The Wire and the concerned reporter) are directed to take down the article...," Justice Datta said while pronouncing the order.

Yesterday, the court held off on delivering a decision regarding Kumar's request for a temporary injunction. The lawsuit targets a news report titled “Links of Son of Delhi Chief Secretary to Beneficiary's Family in Land Over-Valuation Case Raise Questions,” published on November 9 by reporter Meetu Jain. Kumar's lawsuit aims to remove the article and prevent the news portal and the reporter from releasing any more damaging articles about him.

The case accuses Kumar of involvement in inflating compensation for a piece of land in Bamnoli village, intended for the Dwarka Expressway project. Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, representing Kumar, claimed that the article was a "pre-planned" attempt to incite public sentiment against his client. However, Advocate Sarin Naved, representing the news portal, argued that the article, which posed questions, wasn't intended to defame Kumar in any way.

The lawsuit originates from a legal notice sent by Kumar to The Wire and the reporter on November 13, asserting that the article's contents are evidently misleading and inherently defamatory.

Delhi's Vigilance Minister, Atishi, recently suggested the immediate removal of Kumar and another senior bureaucrat, Ashwani Kumar, following a preliminary report on the matter. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal forwarded the report to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, requesting Kumar's suspension. However, the LG declined to accept the report, citing that it seemed to be entirely reliant on preconceived assumptions and presumptions.

Case Title: SHRI NARESH KUMAR V/s THE WIRE & ORS.