New Delhi: Indian men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has filed a civil lawsuit in the Delhi Court against several online entities and individuals on accusations of fabricating and misusing his identity on the internet.

While moving the Delhi HC, Gambhir alleged misuse of identity via deepfakes and AI-generated content, and sought Rs 2.5 crore in damages as well as ‘comprehensive protection of his personality and publicity rights’.

Gambhir lodged a complaint against unauthorised merchandising using his publicity. The civil suit targets 16 defendants in a long list that features several social media users mentioned by name in the statement.

Social media platforms like Meta, X, and Google, and e-commerce websites like Flipkart and Amazon are also named in the complaint.

Gambhir’s legal team filed an ex-parte ad-interim injunction against the AI-generated and fabricated content circulating on the internet, which, in layman’s terms, means an emergency step requesting the forced takedown of content that mitigates any damages that they might cause in the period leading up to an official hearing.

Gambhir was quoted as saying in the statement: “My identity – my name, my face, my voice -has been weaponised by anonymous accounts to spread misinformation and generate revenue at my expense. This is not a matter of personal hurt; it is a matter of law, dignity, and the protection every public figure deserves in the age of artificial intelligence.”

🚨 BREAKING: GAUTAM GAMBHIR MOVES DELHI HIGH COURT!

GG has filed a civil suit against 16 defendants including Meta, X Corp YouTube Amazon & Flipkart over AI deepfakes, voice cloning unauthorised merchandise!

Damages of ₹2.5 CRORE claimed + permanent injunction sought! 💥 pic.twitter.com/BR6z7d1Pf5

— BATBALL07 (@BATBALL07)

A ‘coordinated campaign’ against Gambhir has also been mentioned by his legal team, particularly the increasing trend of impersonations and illegal imitations online. I

The civil suit mainly focused on fabricated and AI creations of Gambhir, including a fabricated video of Gambhir announcing his resignation, and another of him commenting against several Team India cricketers.