The Delhi High Court heard a writ petition filed by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) against the rampant, algorithmic dissemination of fake news claiming that Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and a contingent of 75 constitutional court judges embarked on a corporate-sponsored badminton retreat to London.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta clarified that the viral narrative was entirely fabricated using out-of-context photographs from a 2025 domestic tournament in New Delhi, confirming that the Law Minister remained in India while Chief Justice of India Surya Kant visited London strictly on separate, official state business.

The Court noted that it will pass appropriate ad-interim orders and directions in the matter.

The court indicated its intent to direct digital intermediaries and media platforms to surrender basic subscriber information (BSI) to the Ministry of Information Technology to aid the investigation. 

The Bench of Justice Tejas Karia said, "We can also direct that the basic subscriber information about all the users will be provided to the Ministry of Information Technology. And as far as guidelines are concerned, under the Information Technology Act, all these are intermediaries—either they are media companies or they are intermediaries. So you can very well issue directions, give directions to that effect."


Senior Advocate Apoorv Kurup appeared on behalf of the Petitioner-Association, while Solicitor General of India (SG), Tushar Mehta, appeared for the Union Government.

Kurup submitted that the viral online publications had weaponized the sport of badminton as a pejorative and ridiculous tool to scandalize the judiciary.

The Petitioner contended that the multiplying posts not only brought disrepute to a recognized sport but, more critically as a matter of civic concern, maliciously disparaged the integrity of the constitutional courts. Counsel urged the Court to formulate robust guidelines to regulate the algorithmic proliferation of such anonymous, coordinated disinformation campaigns to prevent future recurrence.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta placed on record the official findings of the government’s fact-checking machinery. The SG categorically stated that the entire narrative was completely false, fabricated, and highly misleading. 

He said the photographs being peddled online depicting the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant, Justice Vikram Nath, Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju were completely out of context and dated back to a domestic event in the year 2025. He said that neither of the named Union Ministers had visited London or the United Kingdom during the period mentioned in the viral reports.

He submitted that while the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India was present in the United Kingdom on official state business—which included formal bilateral meetings with the Chief Justice of the UK and participation in scheduled judicial conferences—he did not participate in any badminton tournament.

"The Honorable Chief Justice of India was on an official visit to London for a few days where his Lordship met the Honorable Chief Justice of England and Wales and also attended an official function in that court, of the Supreme Court of England and Wales. The Honorable Chief Justice of India also addressed some lawyers' functions concerning arbitration law", he submitted.

He concluded that the viral claim alleging that seventy-five (75) judges traveled to London on a state-sponsored pleasure trip was entirely baseless and contrary to the record.

He argued, "None of the Honorable Ministers, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal and Shri Kiren Rijiju, ever visited London during this period, but in the past, they may have gone. It is absolutely false to suggest that the Honorable Law Minister had gone with 75 Honorable judges to London. Firstly, the Honorable Law Minister never visited London during this period and was in India only. Secondly, as per the information of the Government, only two Honorable judges from Allahabad High Court visited London in their personal capacity...It is unfortunate that by peddling fake news based upon a different event held in Delhi, the image of the Honorable Supreme Court of India, the Honorable Chief Justice of India, and other High Courts are attempted to be tarnished. Now, this needs to be investigated and the originator needs to be found."

Justice Karia said, "So essentially it is for the Union of India to investigate and pass appropriate orders under the Information Technology Act. What is the purpose of keeping this pending?"

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, "Yes milord. Your Lordships may grant this prayer, milord, and we will do the needful."

Senior Advocate Apoorv Kurup said, "Certain guidelines, milords, also if we had suggested should be laid down, milords, in this kind of a... because this is an unfortunate event which is going to be repeated, milords. Some kind of guidelines need to be... We are there to assist your Lordships for this, milords."

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said, "Everywhere, milord, it is it is being peddled that the Government came with... went to London with a contingent of 75 Honorable judges on a pleasure trip, etc. No, the Law Minister never visited London in this period. And only two Honorable judges went in their personal capacity, milord. That too from Allahabad High Court. Which really, milord, a common man believes the printed word. That's the problem. And the anonymity which is attached with this medium creates a more serious, milord, serious issue."

On June 8, 2026, a digital news outlet named Janchowk published an article alleging that Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Union Minister for Law and Justice, traveled to London, United Kingdom. The report, which was widely circulated across social media platforms through videos, claimed that the Union Minister participated in the "Second International Bar & Bench Badminton Championship" on June 7, 2026, alongside several judges of the Constitutional Courts (the Supreme Court and High Courts). The online publications created a public impression that a lavish, corporate-sponsored judicial retreat was underway involving senior members of the judiciary and the executive.

The Union Ministry of Law and Justice issued a formal statement categorically denying the reports, terming them factually incorrect, baseless, and misleading. The Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check Unit vetted the clarification and declared the news to be fake.

According to official records, the Union Minister was not present in the United Kingdom on the date of the alleged event. Instead, on June 7, 2026, the Minister was on official duty within his parliamentary constituency in Bikaner, Rajasthan, where he conducted administrative meetings with the Divisional Railway Manager and attended local public outreach programs.

The Ministry further clarified that the visual media and photographs circulated online to substantiate the London trip were presented out of context. The government established that the photographs in question were actually taken on November 29, 2025, during the "All India Judges' Badminton Championship" held at the Thyagraj Stadium in New Delhi, and did not pertain to any international event in London. 

Concurrently, the All India Lawyers Union (AILU), represented by its President Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya and General Secretary P.V. Surendranath, lodged a stringent public objection against the alleged London event.

Characterizing the tournament as "badminton diplomacy" by the Union Government, the AILU contended that a corporate-sponsored event involving judges, lawyers, and the Law Ministry constituted an inappropriate and objectionable collaboration.

Accordingly, the Court will pass orders in the matter.

Cause Title: Badminton Association of India v. Union of India & Anr. [W.P.(C)-8284/2026 & CM APPL. 39105/2026]

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