ITANAGAR/NEW DELHI, Oct 12: In a strong legal move against defamatory post on a social media platform,Pema Norbu Thongchi, Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the Minister for Education and Tourism, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, has served a legal notice to a Reddit user over alleged defamatory statements posted online. The notice, issued through Advocate Vipul Dahiya from the Supreme Court of India on October 11, 2025, accuses the Reddit account “Stag_love” of spreading false, baseless, and damaging remarks that have allegedly tarnished the official’s image and professional standing.
The notice, dated October 11, 2025, accuses the Reddit user of publishing false, baseless, and defamatory statements against Mr. Thongchi on October 10, 2025. According to the Legal notice, the content posted on social media is misleading, does not represent the full facts, and is designed to harm the reputation, dignity, and professional standing of the government official.
Advocate Dahiya stated that the defamatory publication has caused serious damage to Mr. Thongchi’s professional image and continues to harm his dignity. The notice also mentions that earlier requests made by the official to remove the defamatory content were ignored, forcing him to take legal recourse.
The Reddit user has been directed to immediately remove the defamatory content from all platforms, issue a public apology and clarification with equal prominence, and refrain from making any further defamatory statements against Mr. Thongchi. Failure to comply with the directions “today itself,” the notice warns, will result in legal proceedings, including a civil defamation suit for damages and criminal action under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as Section 356 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The advocate emphasized that the publication amounts to defamation under both civil and criminal law, and his client reserves all rights to seek remedies as provided under the law. A copy of the notice has been retained in the lawyer’s office for further necessary action.
The legal notice concludes by stating that it is issued without prejudice to any other rights or remedies available to the client under Indian law.
Attempts to reach the Reddit user “Stag_love” for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting.
Eralire, Mr. Thongchi has also lodged an FIR against the defamatory post at the police station Itanagar (Cyber Crime).
“Extract from Reddit Post”
