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Date of reserved for orders : 15-10-2026 Date of pronouncement : 30-10-2026 Date of uploading : 30-10-2026 APHC010626902022 IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI [3604]

(Special Original Jurisdiction)

FRIDAY, THE 30^th DAY OF OCTOBER 2026 PRESENT THE HONOURABLE SMT JUSTICE SUNITHA GANDHAM WRIT PETITION NO: 37689/2022 Between:

1. ANUP KUMAR SATPATHY, S/O.PARSURAM SATPATHY, AGED ABOUT 53 YEARS, OCC DIVISIONAL RAILWAY MANAGER, RIO.EAST COAST RAILWAY-WALTAIR, DONDAPARTHY, VISAKHAPATNAM ...PETITIONER AND

1. UNION OF INDIA, REP.BY ITS SECRETARY MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING, A WING, SHASTRI BHAVAN, DR.RAJENDRA PRASAD ROAD, NEW DELHI.

2. STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH, REP.BY ITS PRINCIPAL SECRETARY HOME, SECRETARIAT, VELAGAPUDI, GUNTUR DISTRICT.

3. THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE, VISAKHAPATNAM.

4. THE INSPECTOR OF POLICE, , CYBER CRIME POLICE STATION, VISAKHAPATNAM CITY.

5. YOU TUBE CHANNEL GOOGLE LLC, REP.BY ITS AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY/ LEGAL INVESTIGATION TEAM, 1600 AMPHITHEATRE PARKWAY, MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA 94043, USA, INDIAN ADDRESS UNIT 701, PLOT NO.FIFC, LEVEL-7, C-54/55, BANDRA KURIA COMPLEX ROAD, G-BLOCK, BANDRA EAST, MUMBAI, MAHARASHTRA-400051.

6. META PLATFORMS INC / FACEBOOK INDIA, REP.BY ITS AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY, 1601, WILLOW ROAD, MENLO PARK, CA- 94025, USA, INDIAN ADDRESS FACEBOOK INDIA, BUILDING NO.20, RAHEJA MINDSPACE, K.RAHEJA IT PARK, HITECH CITY ROAD, VITTAL RAO NAGAR, HYDERABAD-500082.

7. NEWS TELEVISION NETWORK PVT LTD, (NEWS 8 ODIA) REP.BY ITS CHAIRMAN AND EDITOR, MALLICK COMMERCIAL COMPLEX, 2ND FLOOR, UNIT-3, KHARAVELNAGAR, BHAHANESWAR, KHURDA, ODISHA-751001 ...RESPONDENT(S):

Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, the High Court may be pleased topleased to issue a Writ of Mandamus, or any other appropriate writ, order or direction, declaring the action of the Respondents 5 to 7 in not stopping the telecast of fake news and morphed photos linking the Petitioner to unknown blackmailer inspite of registration of FIR No.507/2022, dated 22.10.2022 by the 4th Respondent and Notices dated 26.10.2022 and the action of the Respondents 5 AND 6 in not furnishing the details requested by the 4th Respondent and deleting the videos/ photos, etc., and further the action of the Respondents 3 AND4 in not expediting the investigation and preventing the telecast of fake news, as illegal, arbitrary and unconstitutional and further direct the Respondents 5 to 7 to act strictly as per the Notices dated 26.10.2022 issued by the 4th Respondent pursuant to the FIR No.507/2022 by stopping the streaming / telecasting / circulating of the fake news and pass IA NO: 1 OF 2022 Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased be pleased to grant interim direction directing the Respondents 5 to 7 to immediately act upon the Notices dated 26.10.2022 issued by the Respondent No.4 by furnishing the information] particulars and stopping the telecast of fake news and morphed photos linking the Petitioner to unknown blackmailer, pending disposal of the above writ petition and pass IA NO: 1 OF 2026 Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Court may be pleased to receive this additional affidavit on record and: a) Direct the respondent no. 5 to remove or disable access to the video titled "Odisha is condemning Anup Satpathy II News8odia II Odisha", available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k3yj5x7FQo, if the same continues to be accessible, and to take appropriate steps in respect of identical copies or reuploads of the said video; b) Restrain Respondent No.7, namely, News 8 Television Network Private Limited (News 8 Odia), from publishing, republishing, uploading, broadcasting or circulating the specific allegedly false and defamatory imputations con