LI Network
Published on: November 09, 2023 at 10:47 IST
The Karnataka High Court has resolved the petition filed by Indian hepatologist Dr. Cyriac Abby Philips, popularly known as “The Liver Doctor,” contesting the suspension of his X (formerly Twitter) account due to a defamation lawsuit initiated by pharmaceutical company Himalaya Wellness.
Justice SG Pandit clarified that his earlier interim order, which effectively reinstated the suspended X handle (@TheLiverDr), will persist until the trial court makes its final decisions on the two applications submitted by Himalaya in their defamation case against Dr. Philips.
The Court’s recent order also stipulates that any commitments made by Dr. Philips to obtain the interim relief on October 10 will not adversely affect his legal arguments or remedies in the case. Moreover, the interim order does not prejudice the arguments and legal options available to Himalaya, as emphasized by the Court.
In its October 10 ruling, the High Court had directed the restoration of the @TheLiverDr X account, contingent on Dr. Philips removing the tweets objected to by Himalaya.
The High Court has now closed this matter within its jurisdiction, leaving Dr. Philips and Himalaya Wellness to present their cases before a trial court in Bengaluru.
Dr. Philips, a prominent Indian hepatologist and clinician-scientist, is renowned for his critical stance on alternative medicine, particularly on social media.
His comments on two Himalaya products, Cipla and Alchem, prompted the pharmaceutical giant to initiate a defamation suit before an Additional City Civil and Sessions Court in Bengaluru.
On September 23, Judge DP Kumaraswamy issued an interim order to suspend the @TheLiverDr account, approving two applications filed by Himalaya.
The first application sought to restrain Dr. Philips from making “defamatory remarks” about the company and its products, while the second application requested the court to block his social media handle (X/Twitter handle).
Following the trial court’s ex parte order that led to the suspension of the @TheLiverDr X handle, Dr. Philips sought relief from the High Court.
On October 10, the High Court granted interim relief to Dr. Philips by staying the trial court’s order for six weeks, contingent on him removing the contentious X posts.
With the High Court’s disposal of the petition, the trial court is set to continue the defamation case. However, the High Court’s interim order from October 10 will remain in effect until the trial court issues its final verdict on the two applications by Himalaya.
