How to Get Right to Be Forgotten
in Kolkata
A legal step-by-step guide for Kolkata residents and businesses. India has no statutory Right to Be Forgotten in force yet, but High Courts have granted de-indexing relief under Article 21. The right to erasure in Section 12 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 comes into force in May 2027.
Legal process in Kolkata.
Identify the content: historical content, outdated information, or acquitted criminal records that continue to harm reputation.
Assess eligibility: Right to Be Forgotten is stronger for acquitted individuals, victims of crimes, and content with no ongoing public interest.
High Court petition: filed at the relevant High Court as a writ petition under Article 226, invoking the right to privacy under Article 21.
Google India notice: formal notice to Google's India operations demanding de-indexing pending the court order.
Court order enforcement: once the High Court issues an order, it is served on all search engines and platform operators.
Right to Be Forgotten in Kolkata: the local legal context
Kolkata falls within the Calcutta High Court, which sits in the city. Kolkata's commercial and professional community — spanning trading businesses, manufacturing, education institutions, and healthcare — increasingly faces online reputation attacks through Bengali-language portals and national platforms.
Bengali-language news portal defamation targeting business owners
Fake reviews on JustDial and Sulekha targeting Kolkata retail and services
Social media campaigns against educational institutions and coaching centres
Kolkata reputation matters frequently involve Bengali-language news portals, regional Twitter/X accounts targeting film and political figures, and Facebook groups operating across the West Bengal diaspora. Cross-border content from Bangladesh-hosted sites is an increasing source of cases.
For Kolkata, a civil suit lies before the competent civil court or Calcutta High Court, which has an original side.
Highest-risk Kolkata industries: Bengali film and entertainment industry professionals (coordinated social media and Bengali YouTube attacks), traditional family businesses (consumer-portal organised review attacks), and political consultants (Bengali-language news-portal defamation).
In Kolkata, right-to-be-forgotten relief rests on the Information Technology Act 2000 (Section 79 read with IT Rules 2021, which set platform deadlines of three hours on a court order, two hours on intimate images or impersonation of a person, and seven days on most other complaints, defamation included), criminal defamation under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 s.356 (formerly IPC 499/500), and civil injunctions from the competent civil court or Calcutta High Court, which has an original side. Across 25+ cities RepuLex maintains a 97% case success rate — permanent removal, not suppression.
India has no statutory Right to Be Forgotten in force yet, but High Courts have granted de-indexing relief under Article 21. The right to erasure in Section 12 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 comes into force in May 2027.
How long does it take to get right to be forgotten in Kolkata?+
A writ petition under Article 226 runs on Calcutta High Court's calendar, usually weeks to months. A de-indexing request to Google can be filed in parallel while it is pending. The right to erasure in Section 12 of the DPDP Act 2023 comes into force only in May 2027.
Can RepuLex help you get right to be forgotten in Kolkata?+
Yes. RepuLex takes on this work for clients across West Bengal 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 Kolkata 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 Calcutta High Court, which has an original side, and before Calcutta High Court for writ petitions.
What does it cost to get right to be forgotten in Kolkata?+
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 Kolkata.
Free assessment · Fixed fee · Calcutta High Court jurisdiction · Written confirmation