New Delhi: Tamil Nadu Police has informed the Supreme Court about the specific steps taken to remove objectionable social media posts against Justice G.R. Swaminathan of the Madras High Court and to register FIRs against those responsible. This comes amid a petition alleging that defamatory and derogatory content was spread after Justice Swaminathan’s order on lighting the Karthigai Deepam lamp at Thiruparankundram in Madurai.
Background of the Justice GR Swaminathan Defamation Case
A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in the Supreme Court by Advocate G.S. Mani, challenging online and offline protests targeting Justice Swaminathan. The plea claimed that objectors circulated hostile, abusive and caste- or religion-based defamatory content about the judge on platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube.
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On January 28, 2026, a bench of the Supreme Court directed the Tamil Nadu government and police authorities to file a detailed status report in the matter and fixed the hearing for February 2, 2026.
Justice GR Swaminathan Defamation Case: FIR Registered On Objectionable Content
In its affidavit before the Court, Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police, G. Venkataraman, stated that the Cyber Crime Cell of the Greater Chennai Police registered Crime No. 14/2026 on January 28, 2026 under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 in connection with objectionable social media content targeting Justice Swaminathan.
The FIR covers:
- Spreading defamatory, derogatory and abusive content online
- Posts on X, Facebook, YouTube and other platforms
- Identifying and taking action against accounts sharing this content
Cyber Cell Action To Remove Posts
The DGP’s affidavit explains that the cyber unit identified multiple social media handles that posted or shared objectionable content. Notices were issued to the nodal officers of those platforms, instructing them to:
- Remove the offensive content
- Block impersonating accounts
- Preserve original URLs
- Provide details of handles for further action
However, responses from some intermediaries are still pending, the affidavit noted.
Police Investigations Beyond Social Media
Apart from online action, Tamil Nadu Police also addressed protests and activities on the ground.
According to the affidavit:
- A pamphlet allegedly calling for a siege of the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court was distributed. A case was registered at Tallakulam Police Station and 15 people were arrested, later released on bail.
- Another case stemmed from a protest that blocked traffic in the name of opposing the judicial order. 37 individuals were detained and later released on bail.
These investigations are still ongoing under the supervision of local police officers.
Judicial Order Triggering Controversy
The controversy started after Justice Swaminathan, on December 1, 2025, instructed the management of the Arulmighu Subramaniya Swamy Temple to make arrangements for lighting the Karthigai Deepam lamp at the stone pillar atop the Thiruparankundram hill near a dargah.
When the Tamil Nadu government failed to implement the order, the judge permitted devotees to light the lamp themselves under Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) protection.
Opposition to this order led to protests and heated debate, both on the ground and on social media.
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