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JABALPUR: Madhya Pradesh high court ordered Monday removal of 102 social media links that misused live-streamed court proceedings, giving platforms 48 hours to take down clips circulating as memes, reels and sensational videos. A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf passed the direction while hearing a petition warning that edited excerpts from open court hearings were being selectively circulated on YouTube and Instagram, distorting judicial proceedings and eroding institutional dignity. The case will be heard again on March 24. Petitioners – advocates Arihant Tiwari and Vidit Shah, along with Dr Vijay Bajaj of Jabalpur – said short videos lifted from live streams sensationalised judicial remarks and courtroom exchanges, amounting to contempt of court. They sought tighter monitoring of live-streamed hearings and a move away from open platforms such as YouTube to a secure, Webex-based system overseen by the HC’s registrar (IT). During earlier proceedings, the high court had asked Meta to identify objectionable content. Meta told the bench it would act once specific URLs were provided. Acting on that direction, petitioners had submitted a list of 102 links. Tiwari said in court the clips included selective portrayals of judges’ exchanges during hearings. One video showed Justice Vivek Agarwal revoking bail after an accused jumped bail, followed by a clip of the accused’s daughter pleading in court. Other videos highlighted sharp remarks by judges toward advocates over non-appearance or lack of preparedness, and observations made by Justice Rohit Arya during hearings in Gwalior.
