The Delhi High Court on Friday instructed social media intermediaries to respond within seven days to a plea filed by former cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar seeking protection of his personality rights.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora directed Gavaskar's legal team to first take their grievances to the concerned social media intermediaries.

The court further ordered these platforms to treat Gavaskar's suit as a formal complaint under the Information and Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, and to initiate the required action within seven days.

The court added that if any social media intermediary has reservations regarding any weblink cited by Gavaskar, it must inform him accordingly. In addition, the plaintiff was instructed to share within 24 hours the specific URLs for which takedown is being requested.

Gavaskar moved the high court to stop the unauthorised use of his name, image, persona and likeness by social media platforms and e-commerce websites, seeking enforcement of his personality rights.

These rights, commonly referred to as the right to publicity, allow an individual to protect, control and monetise the use of their image, name or likeness.

Recently, several public figures — including Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgn, filmmaker Karan Johar, singer Kumar Sanu, Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna, 'Art of Living' founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, journalist Sudhir Chaudhary and podcaster Raj Shamani — approached the court with similar requests and were granted interim relief.

Bollywood actor Salman Khan and Telugu actor NTR Rao Junior have also petitioned the Delhi High Court seeking protection of their personality rights.