The Badminton Association of India (BAI) has petitioned the Delhi High Court to counter the spread of false reports about judges participating in a government-sponsored badminton tournament in London. This urgent legal action aims to curb the proliferation of misinformation that has been gaining traction online.
Senior Advocate Apoorv Kurup addressed Justice Tejas Karia to expedite the hearing on this matter. Kurup highlighted the adverse impact of these misleading reports, emphasizing how they tarnish the sport’s reputation. The fake news insinuates that several judges traveled to London, allegedly at the taxpayers’ expense, to partake in the event. This misinformation has sparked widespread criticism regarding judicial independence, misuse of public funds, and the ethics of judges and government officials participating in such events amid calls for public austerity.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that he received a preemptive copy of the petition and corroborated the rapid dissemination of the false claims. The court instructed the petitioners to resolve any objections by 2:30 PM and agreed to schedule the plea for a hearing once completed.
Viral social media posts purported that approximately 75 Indian judges, including Union ministers and Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, were involved in the London tournament. However, the government’s fact-checking entity, PIB Fact Check, debunked these allegations. It clarified that the photographs circulating on social media were from a different badminton tournament held at Thyagaraj Stadium in New Delhi in November 2025, not from any event in London.
PIB Fact Check additionally confirmed that Union ministers Kiren Rijiju and Arjun Ram Meghwal were not in London as suggested by the erroneous reports. The court’s intervention is sought to mitigate the spread of this misinformation and protect the integrity of the individuals and institutions involved.
