📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ramesh NG
Crime
Tamil Nadu entrepreneur detained at Delhi airport over deleted X post on CM Vijay, Trisha
✍️ ThePrint
🗓 07 Sep 2026, 03:37 AM
👁 1
A Tamil Nadu businessman was held at Delhi's airport after a now‑deleted X post alleged to defame Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s rival CM Vijay and actress Trisha. Authorities say the post violated defamation laws.
The Delhi airport immigration officials detained a businessman from Tamil Nadu on Tuesday after he posted a message on X that authorities said defamed Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s political rival, CM Vijay, and popular actress Trisha. The post, which has since been removed, alleged false statements about the two public figures and was flagged as violating India's criminal defamation provisions.
According to the airport police, the entrepreneur was taken into custody for questioning and his passport was seized. He was escorted to a holding cell pending further investigation by the Delhi Police's cybercrime wing, which is probing the content and origin of the deleted post.
Legal experts note that under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, publishing defamatory content about a public figure can attract imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both. The authorities have not disclosed any formal charges yet, but the detention underscores the growing scrutiny of online speech in India.
The entrepreneur's legal counsel, who declined to be named, said they would cooperate with the investigation and contest any allegations of wrongdoing. No further details about the post's content or the entrepreneur's business have been released.
The incident comes amid heightened sensitivity around political commentary on social media platforms, with several recent cases highlighting the government's intent to enforce defamation laws more rigorously.
According to the airport police, the entrepreneur was taken into custody for questioning and his passport was seized. He was escorted to a holding cell pending further investigation by the Delhi Police's cybercrime wing, which is probing the content and origin of the deleted post.
Legal experts note that under Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, publishing defamatory content about a public figure can attract imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both. The authorities have not disclosed any formal charges yet, but the detention underscores the growing scrutiny of online speech in India.
The entrepreneur's legal counsel, who declined to be named, said they would cooperate with the investigation and contest any allegations of wrongdoing. No further details about the post's content or the entrepreneur's business have been released.
The incident comes amid heightened sensitivity around political commentary on social media platforms, with several recent cases highlighting the government's intent to enforce defamation laws more rigorously.