India, Jan. 7 -- The Delhi high court on Wednesday directed the take-down of social media posts within 24 hours linking Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Dushyant Gautam to the 2022 murder of Ankita Bhandari, a resort receptionist, in Uttarakhand's Pauri Garhwal.

A bench of Justice Mini Pushkarna also restrained actor Urmila Sanawar, former BJP lawmaker Suresh Rathore, the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and others from posting similar content.

Gautam filed a defamation suit against Sanawar, Rathore, two political parties, and Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal for linking him to the murder.

Justice Pushkarna observed that the allegations against Gautam were prima facie defamatory. She added that irreparable harm would be...