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How to Get Right to Be Forgotten
in Mumbai

A legal step-by-step guide for Mumbai 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.

Legally reviewedReviewed for legal accuracy by Advocate Subodh Bajpai, Delhi High Court · Legal Advisory Board Member, RepuLex. Regulated legal work is delivered by partner law firm Unified Chambers And Associates.
Step by Step

Legal process in Mumbai.

Jurisdiction
Bombay High Court
Maharashtra · IT Act 2000
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1

Identify the content: historical content, outdated information, or acquitted criminal records that continue to harm reputation.

2

Assess eligibility: Right to Be Forgotten is stronger for acquitted individuals, victims of crimes, and content with no ongoing public interest.

3

High Court petition: filed at the relevant High Court as a writ petition under Article 226, invoking the right to privacy under Article 21.

4

Google India notice: formal notice to Google's India operations demanding de-indexing pending the court order.

5

Court order enforcement: once the High Court issues an order, it is served on all search engines and platform operators.

Mumbai legal context

Right to Be Forgotten in Mumbai: the local legal context

Mumbai falls within the Bombay High Court, which has its principal seat in the city.

Case pattern 1

Entertainment and media defamation on social platforms

Case pattern 2

Stock market-related false rumours on financial forums

Case pattern 3

Consumer complaint portal attacks on real estate developers

Platform attack vectors

Mumbai's reputation matters are dominated by Glassdoor (financial-services and entertainment-industry employers), finance forums (rumour-driven attacks on listed companies), and Twitter/X accounts targeting film and finance professionals. Anonymous Twitter handles operating from Mumbai's stock-trading community are an active source of defamation petitions.

Courts and forum

For Mumbai, a civil suit lies before the competent civil court or Bombay High Court, which has an original side.

Industry risk profile

Highest-risk Mumbai industries: Listed-company executives (finance forum and Twitter rumours during earnings season), film and entertainment professionals (coordinated social media attacks), and real-estate developers (consumer-portal review bombing).

High Court
Bombay High Court
State / UT
Maharashtra
Service
Right to Be Forgotten
Legal framework & references

In Mumbai, 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 Bombay High Court, which has an original side. Across 25+ cities RepuLex maintains a 97% case success rate — permanent removal, not suppression.

Why the Legal Route

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.

2,400+
Links removed
97%
Success rate
7–30
Days removal
FAQ
How long does it take to get right to be forgotten in Mumbai?+

A writ petition under Article 226 runs on Bombay 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 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 get right to be forgotten 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