How to File a Defamation Case
in Mumbai
A legal step-by-step guide for Mumbai residents and businesses. A civil suit with an interim injunction is what takes content down quickly, while a criminal complaint under BNS 2023 s.356 (formerly IPC 499/500) can end in a conviction but removes nothing by itself.
Where to file in Mumbai
The forums for a defamation matter in Mumbai, each condensed from the official page or statute linked under Sources. Pecuniary limits, court fees and portals change by amendment and notification, so the Sources line gives the date they were read.
| High Court and seat or bench | Bombay High Court at Mumbai, its principal seat, as distinct from its Nagpur, Aurangabad, Goa and Kolhapur benches. |
|---|---|
| Civil suit for damages or an injunction | In Greater Mumbai, a suit valued up to ₹10 crore goes to the Bombay City Civil Court (s.3, Bombay City Civil Court Act, 1948, as amended in 2023); above ₹10 crore, to the Original Side of the Bombay High Court. |
| Criminal complaint under BNS s.356 | A Judicial Magistrate First Class court under the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Mumbai, allotted by police station. Cognizance of BNS s.356 defamation needs a complaint by the person aggrieved (BNSS s.222(1)). |
| Court-fee statute | The Maharashtra Court-fees Act, 1959: damages under s.6(i), ad valorem on the amount claimed (Schedule I, Article 1). It has no clause for an injunction alone; s.6(iv)(j) or Schedule II, Article 23(f) applies, depending on how the relief is framed. |
| E-filing portal | The eCourts eFiling Services Portal, https://filing.ecourts.gov.in/pdedev/, serves the Mumbai district courts and the Bombay High Court. |
| Free legal aid | DLSA Mumbai (Mazgaon Court) and the Mumbai Suburban DLSA (Bandra West). Under s.12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987, free legal services go to women, children, SC/ST members and anyone with annual income below ₹3,00,000, among others. The legal services authority must also be satisfied that there is a prima facie case (s.13), and the income ceiling is the higher amount the State Government prescribes under s.12(h). |
Sources, read : High Court, bombayhighcourt.gov.in · Civil suit, bombayhighcourt.gov.in · Criminal complaint, cmmmumbai.dcourts.gov.in · Court fee, indiacode.gov.in · E-filing, bombayhighcourt.gov.in · Legal aid, maharashtra.nalsa.gov.in · Legal-aid conditions, nalsa.gov.in.
Legal process in Mumbai.
Preserve the evidence: URLs, dates, archives and screenshots.
Choose the route: a criminal complaint under BNS 2023 s.356 (formerly IPC 499/500), a civil suit, or both. The partner law firm advises on which.
Legal notice: a notice to the originator often achieves removal without court proceedings.
Criminal complaint: by the person aggrieved, before a Judicial Magistrate of the first class for the place where the content was published or read.
Civil suit: for an injunction and damages, with an interim-injunction application where the harm is ongoing.
Each step in full: How to File a Defamation Case in India.
A civil suit with an interim injunction is what takes content down quickly, while a criminal complaint under BNS 2023 s.356 (formerly IPC 499/500) can end in a conviction but removes nothing by itself.
How long does it take to file a defamation case in Mumbai?+
A criminal complaint or a civil suit runs on the court's calendar and usually takes months to decide. Interim relief is faster: where urgency is shown, a court can grant an injunction against the content at an early hearing. For Mumbai, the partner law firm files a civil suit in the competent civil court or Bombay High Court, which has an original side.
Can RepuLex help you file a defamation case in Mumbai?+
Yes. RepuLex takes on this work for clients across Maharashtra and the rest of India; legal notices and court filings are drafted and served by the partner law firm. The IT Act 2000 and the IT Rules 2021 apply to every intermediary offering services in India, wherever the platform is hosted, so a notice for a Mumbai client runs the same way as one sent from anywhere else. Where a court order is needed, the partner law firm files in the competent civil court or Bombay High Court, which has an original side, and before Bombay High Court for writ petitions.
What does it cost to file a defamation case in Mumbai?+
This work is not priced per URL. After the free case assessment it is scoped and quoted as a fixed fee before any commitment, and there is no monthly retainer. The per-URL removal rates are on the pricing page.
Need help? RepuLex handles it for you in Mumbai.
Free assessment · Fixed fee · Bombay High Court jurisdiction · Written confirmation