Instagram User Asked If She Would Represent Subodh Gupta’s Victims

The court was considering the defamation suit filed by Gupta against the Instagram holder.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday, 22 January, asked the anonymous Instagram holder 'Herdsceneand', who had accused artist Subodh Gupta of alleged sexual harassment, if she is willing to represent other victims of sexual harassment, or whether the court should implead them as a party to the suit, The Indian Express reported.

The court was hearing the defamation suit filed by Gupta against the Instagram holder.

In response to Gupta’s defamation suit, the Herdsceneand informed the court that the account’s user was merely a “whistle-blower,” and intends to bring out instances of sexual harassment and misconduct in the art fraternity, as part of the #MeToo movement.

Responding to Herdsceneand, Justice RS Endlaw said, “If defendant Number 1 (user) is interested in providing identity of the said person then it should either represent such person(s) or such person(s) should be impleaded as a party to the suit,” according to The Indian Express.

Earlier, the court had allowed the account-holder to maintain anonymity in its Rs 5 crore defamation suit filed last year, seeking removal of allegedly defamatory content against him on social media platforms.

Herdsceneand stated that in the absence of an Internal Committee to deal with such instances, the victims of sexual harassment wrote to her about their experiences, knowing that the anonymity would protect them from retaliation by influential members of the art fraternity.

Herdsceneand informed the court that the account was made on 8 October 2018 to “bring to the forefront cases of sexual misconduct and harassment stemming from the wrongful exercise of power by persons having position and influence in the profession”.

During the previous hearing, the Delhi High Court had passed an order restraining the anonymous Instagram handle from posting anything pertaining to Gupta and directed that all the links addressing sexual harassment allegations be taken down.

The court had issued a notice to Facebook, the parent company of Instagram, to furnish details of the Instagram account.

Gupta, the high-profile contemporary artist had stepped down as co-curator of the Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa in December 2018 and denied having shown any inappropriate behaviour.

(With inputs from The Indian Express.)