In a major legal victory for acclaimed playback singer Sonu Nigam, the Bombay High Court has granted an interim restraining order against a social media impersonator accused of misusing his identity on the platform X (formerly Twitter).
The impersonator, a criminal lawyer from Bihar named Sonu Nigam Singh, had been operating an account under the name ‘Sonu Nigam’ and publishing politically and communally sensitive content, which led to widespread confusion among fans and media outlets.
As reported by Bar and Bench, the singer approached the court to assert his personality rights, stating that Singh’s posts had sparked controversy and backlash directed at him personally.
This situation arose despite Sonu Nigam not being active on X since 2017, with his only verified online presence limited to Instagram, where he shares insights into his professional and personal life.
On Friday, Justice R.I. Chagla passed an ex-parte interim order in Singer's favour. The court directed that the impersonator must clearly disclose his full name on the platform to avoid further misrepresentation.
Representing Sonu Nigam, senior advocate Hiren Kamod argued that Singh had knowingly disguised his identity to provoke public sentiment using the singer’s name. Kamod submitted to the court a list of 14 objectionable posts made from the account, highlighting how the user’s inflammatory content had been widely misconstrued as the singer’s own views.
One such tweet, which took aim at BJP MP Tejasvi Surya over language politics, added to the mounting criticism directed at Nigam.
What makes the situation particularly concerning is that the impersonator had amassed over 90,000 followers, including several high-profile figures such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Union Minister Smriti Irani. This gave the false impression that the posts were being made by the actual Sonu Nigam, contributing to what Kamod described as “absolute chaos” for the singer and his family.
The High Court’s decision brings temporary relief, ensuring the impersonator is held accountable for the misuse of the singer’s name and reputation.
The matter remains under legal review, but for now, the judgement marks a firm step toward protecting public figures from digital identity misuse in an era of increasing online impersonation.
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