Delhi court's AI+ Smartphones gag order tests limits of John Doe injunctions

On April 28, 2026, the Delhi High Court restrained YouTube channels TechWiser and TechBar from publishing material disparaging AI+ Smartphones and founder Madhav Sheth, extending the order to "unknown parties." The next hearing is set for November 27, leaving the injunction in force for at least seven months and raising questions about John Doe orders beyond piracy.

• Order issued April 28, 2026 in CS(COMM) 429/2026 by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela
• Court found parts of the videos were fair criticism but "border on disparagement"
• Next hearing is November 27, so the order runs at least seven months
• Supreme Court in Bloomberg v. Zee (2024) called pre-trial gag orders a "death sentence"