In April this year, Negi complained before the Screenwriters Association (SWA) that Gupta’s short film comprised an “outright extraction” of her unfinished documentary project, and accused Gupta of copyright infringement and breach of trust, according to Gupta’s plea. On May 19, Gupta wrote back to the SWA claiming Negi’s complaint was “malicious, defamatory, and entirely fabricated”, and categorically denied the allegations, maintaining that she had never accessed or viewed any script, treatment, link, footage or other material allegedly shared by Negi.
The court rejected Gupta’s request for a blanket restraint and specifically clarified that the injunction did not prevent Negi from pursuing legal remedies or publishing material based on true and verified facts. On Thursday, the court granted interim relief to Gupta by restraining the publication and circulation of allegedly defamatory content and ordering the takedown of such content from digital platforms.
“Nothing in this order shall prevent the defendants (Negi and others) from publishing accurate and verified information based on official record of investigation or judicial proceedings or legal finding of any authority constituted under law,” the court said.
