CJP leaders agree to take down posts against Gaurav Bhatia, after court nudge
The court’s suggestion came while hearing Bhatia’s Rs 2-crore defamation suit; Justice Tushar Rao Gedela also questioned why the matter was brought to court without an attempt at mediation.
After the Delhi High Court Thursday orally requested Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leaders Ashutosh Ranka and Saurav Das to consider taking down alleged defamatory posts against senior advocate and BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia, the two have agreed to take down the posts within 24 hours.
The proposal by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela was made while hearing a Rs 2 crore defamation suit moved by Bhatia, who sought damages and removal of the alleged defamatory posts.
However, Justice Gedela chastised Bhatia for moving court with his grievance without attempting to mediate off-court. “There are other ways to do this also, you could have contacted them before coming here,” Justice Gedela remarked.
While Bhatia argued that it was a case of “aggravated defamation”, the court instructed the counsel for the two CJP members to get back during the day on whether they are willing to take down the posts.
Justice Gedela, addressing their counsel, also remarked, “There are different ways of protesting… you’re all youngsters, you may have your own anxieties… but saying certain things without verifying may not be correct. We don’t want to pass an order that ‘takedown the posts’, if you’re willing to do it on your own… There is a lot of anxiety these days… you can express it, you’re the youth, but sometimes expression needs to be put down in a more articulate manner which goes the right way and expresses the intent… you’re youngsters who have a long way to go… are you going to spend your time in courts? You have studies to do…”
Why is Abhijeet Dipke named in the suit? Court
Justice Gedela also inquired why CJP’s Abhijeet Dipke has been made a party in the suit, observing that there is “nothing” against Dipke in the posts Bhatia has objected to.
Addressing Bhatia, Justice Gedela orally remarked, “You’re not carrying a flag for the entire party… You’ve not even given them a copy of the suit.”
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Bhatia countered that he supplied the copies of the suit on X as he could not verify the defendant CJP leaders’ residential addresses.
Bhatia objected to Dipke reposting a video, since ascertained to be fake, that portrayed a man allegedly dancing with a glass of liquid as the Ram Mandir Trust CEO.
On September 8, Bhatia posted a screenshot of a page of the suit on X, which listed the parties — including the 3 CJP leaders and the organisation.
In another post, with a screenshot of the index of the suit, Bhatia posted, “When allegations cross the line, the law draws the line”.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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