How to Remove a Fake News Article
in Mumbai
A legal step-by-step guide for Mumbai residents and businesses. Fake news articles that rank on name searches cause long-term damage. Legal notices to editors personally create urgency that editorial complaints processes do not.
Legal process in Mumbai.
Archive the article: save full URL, page archive, and metadata before the publisher may edit it.
Identify the publisher: determine if they are an Indian registered intermediary or media entity subject to IT Act and Press Council.
Defamation notice to the editor: a notice citing BNS 2023 s.356 (formerly IPC 499/500), addressed to the editor and the publisher, identifies each false statement and asks for removal or correction.
IT Act Section 79 notice: puts the publishing platform on formal notice; if it declines, a court order must be acted on within three hours.
Google Search Console de-indexing: once removed, permanent removal from search results filed through Google's legal team.
Remove Fake News Article in Mumbai: the local legal context
Mumbai falls within the Bombay High Court, which has its principal seat in the city.
Entertainment and media defamation on social platforms
Stock market-related false rumours on financial forums
Consumer complaint portal attacks on real estate developers
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.
For Mumbai, a civil suit lies before the competent civil court or Bombay High Court, which has an original side.
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).
In Mumbai, fake news article removal 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.
Fake news articles that rank on name searches cause long-term damage. Legal notices to editors personally create urgency that editorial complaints processes do not.
How long does it take to remove a fake news article in Mumbai?+
Most cases in Mumbai are resolved within 7–30 days via IT Act 2000 platform notices. Emergency cases are handled on a 24-hour escalation track. RepuLex confirms all removals in writing before closing the case.
Can RepuLex help you remove a fake news article 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 remove a fake news article in Mumbai?+
RepuLex charges a fixed one-time fee: ₹99,999 per URL permanently removed. Package pricing: Starter Shield (3 URLs) at ₹2,49,999 and Business Clear (10 URLs) at ₹7,49,999. A free case assessment is provided before any commitment. No monthly retainers. These rates cover standard-complexity removals; news media and court-reported matters are quoted separately from ₹1,00,000 per URL.
Need help? RepuLex handles it for you in Mumbai.
Free assessment · Fixed fee · Bombay High Court jurisdiction · Written confirmation