In a major relief for singer Sonu Nigam, the Bombay High Court has issued a restraining order against a social media user accused of impersonating him on X (formerly Twitter).

The individual, a lawyer from Bihar, has been operating an X account under the name Sonu Nigam, causing confusion among fans and in the media.

According to a report by Bar And Bench, Sonu Nigam had approached the court claiming that his personality rights were being violated by an X user named Sonu Nigam Singh, a criminal lawyer from Bihar. This user has been sharing politically and communally sensitive content under the X handle ‘Sonu Nigam’. The singer sought legal action after receiving backlash for posts that were actually made by Singh, which many mistakenly attributed to him.

On Friday, Justice RI Chagla granted an ex-parte interim order in Nigam’s favor, instructing Singh to display his full name on the platform to prevent misrepresentation, as reported by Bar and Bench.

Nigam’s attorney, Hiren Kamod, contended that Singh intentionally hid his identity while discussing sensitive topics, thereby misleading the public. Kamod provided 14 instances of communal posts made from the account and highlighted that Singh had gained over 90,000 followers, including public figures, by taking advantage of Nigam’s name. One such post criticized BJP MP Tejasvi Surya, stating, “Don’t dub Kannada movies in Hindi! Don’t release Kannada movies pan-India! Do you have the courage to say this to Kannada film stars, Mr. @TejasviSurya, or are you merely another language warrior?”

Among these followers are prominent public figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former minister Smriti Irani. Kamod emphasized that this misrepresentation has led to ongoing online harassment directed at the singer and his family. “Due to Sonu Nigam Singh responding to the posts… Look at the hate Sonu Nigam is receiving. Absolute chaos, My Lord. This is what the plaintiff has been enduring daily since August 2024,” he stated in court.