The Delhi High Court has passed an interim order barring Law Prep Tutorial from using CLAT AIR 1 Geetali Gupta’s name, image, or identity for promotional purposes on any platform.
The Court has also directed that any such content be taken down from Google and Meta within 72 hours.
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela passed the order in a commercial suit, restraining Law Prep Tutorial and its associates, while granting relief to Toprankers EdTech Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (LegalEdge) and Geetali Gupta.
The case arose after allegations that Law Prep used Gupta’s identity to promote its coaching services, despite her primarily being enrolled with LegalEdge for a two-year programme and having taken only a mock test series with Law Prep before securing the top rank in CLAT 2026.
ALLEGED OFFER AND FALLOUT
The plaintiffs claimed that after CLAT 2026 results were announced, Law Prep Tutorial approached Gupta with an offer to fund her five-year legal education in exchange for exclusive branding as their student. When the offer was declined, it is alleged that a targeted online campaign was launched against both Gupta and LegalEdge.
This campaign reportedly included videos, blogs, and social media posts questioning her association and making critical claims about LegalEdge.
ONLINE CAMPAIGN AND FIR CONTROVERSY
LegalEdge asserted that defamatory material circulated widely, including a YouTube video and blog posts presenting an alternative narrative about Gupta’s success.
After a cease-and-desist notice was issued, an FIR was lodged in Jodhpur against LegalEdge’s directors, Gupta, and her father. However, the Rajasthan High Court later stayed the FIR.
Despite this, the plaintiffs alleged that fresh content continued to appear online, further harming their reputation.
COURT OBSERVATIONS
At the preliminary stage, the Court noted that the material presented appeared to damage LegalEdge’s reputation. It observed that Gupta had publicly credited LegalEdge for her success, yet her identity continued to be used without consent.
The Court also remarked that Gupta seemed to have been drawn unnecessarily into the dispute, describing her as a “pawn” in the conflict.
TAKEDOWN ORDERS FOR ONLINE PLATFORMS
The Court directed major intermediaries, including Google and Meta (covering platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram), to remove or disable access to the identified content within 72 hours of the order being uploaded.
Additionally, the defendants have been instructed not to tamper with or destroy any relevant digital records or communications linked to the alleged campaign.
LegalEdge is being represented by Senior Advocate J. Sai Deepak along with a team of counsels. The matter is scheduled for further proceedings before the Joint Registrar on July 14, 2026, and will be taken up again by the Court on August 24, 2026.
