The Aryavarth Express
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted protection to the name, image, likeness and identity of senior criminal lawyer Vikas Pahwa, restraining unknown individuals and social media platforms from unauthorised use of his persona for fraudulent activities.
Justice Jyoti Singh directed the immediate removal of all infringing online content and observed that appropriate orders would be passed to safeguard Pahwa’s name, identity and professional registration details from further misuse.
Appearing on behalf of Pahwa, his counsel submitted that his photographs were being illegally used across platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. Impostors were allegedly posing as the senior advocate or claiming association with him to mislead members of the public. It was argued that these acts were aimed at inducing people into fraudulent investment schemes.
The court was informed that fabricated articles and WhatsApp display pictures bearing Pahwa’s photographs were being circulated to lend credibility to organised and ongoing financial fraud, resulting in serious harm to public interest and irreparable damage to his professional reputation.
According to the pleadings, Pahwa has alleged infringement of copyright in his photographs, passing off, misappropriation of personality and publicity rights, and unfair competition. The suit states that the unauthorised use of his image and identity was a deliberate and systematic attempt to unjustly enrich fraudsters by exploiting the goodwill and public trust associated with his name.
The plaint further notes that Pahwa is the exclusive copyright holder of his photographs under the Copyright Act, 1957, and that his name, likeness and persona have acquired independent proprietary value, entitling them to protection against unauthorised commercial exploitation and misrepresentation.
Notably, Pahwa has become the first lawyer in India to secure a court order specifically protecting personality and publicity rights—reliefs more commonly granted to actors, sportspersons and other public figures from the entertainment industry.
The suit also highlights that Pahwa, who has over three decades of legal practice and was designated a Senior Advocate by the Delhi High Court in 2011, enjoys a strong pan-India reputation built through decades of ethical practice before trial courts, High Courts and the Supreme Court.
After hearing the submissions, Justice Singh indicated that comprehensive directions would be issued to prevent further misuse of Pahwa’s identity and restrain continued online impersonation. The court also ordered that all infringing material already circulating on digital platforms be taken down forthwith.
