Delhi HC Grants Temporary Injunction To Lawrence School, Bars Trademark Misuse, Orders Meta To Remove Defamatory Posts

The Delhi High Court has granted a temporary injunction in favour of Lawrence School Sanawar Society, which runs The Lawrence School in Sanawar, Himachal Pradesh, in a dispute over allegedly defamatory content posted about the institution on Facebook.

The order targets a Facebook page and certain individuals. Educator Subodh Sinha, the page IPSC & Indian Top Schools Alumni (IITSA), and Ankit Kumar Gupta have been restrained, along with anyone acting on their behalf, from using the school's registered trademarks. Meta Platforms Inc. has also been directed to take down the impugned content.

Justice Tushar Rao Gedela observed:

“The plaintiff is an institution of over 175 years' standing, with a nationwide and international reputation built over generations, and any continued use of its trademark and trade name by the defendants, along with the circulation of the impugned defamatory posts, would cause irreparable injury to the plaintiff's goodwill and reputation, which cannot be adequately compensated in monetary terms. The balance of convenience also tilts in favour of the plaintiff and against the defendants.”

Founded in 1847, The Lawrence School, Sanawar is run by the Lawrence School Sanawar Society. The institution told the Court that it has used the marks “SANAWAR” and “THE LAWRENCE SCHOOL, SANAWAR” for decades, alongside its insignia and the motto “Never Give in”.

According to the plaint, the issue came to light when the school identified a Facebook group titled “The Lawrence School Sanawar Alumni.” The group was being administered by Subodh Sinha and moderated through the IITSA page. The school alleged that its name, insignia, and even images of its campus, including the church building, were being used without permission. It also pointed to members being added without verification and a misleading hyperlink connecting the group to the Indian Public Schools Conference (IPSC), despite no formal affiliation.

A post dated November 26, 2025, became a focal point of the dispute. It appeared under the name of a minor child of Ankit Kumar Gupta and contained allegations of bullying, late-night drills, and physical abuse within the school.

The Society argued that its marks have acquired distinctiveness through long and continuous use dating back to 1914. It also claimed the defendants had adopted similar names and identifiers to benefit from the school's reputation.

On the Facebook post, the school alleged that it had in fact been authored and circulated by Ankit Kumar Gupta using his minor son's account. It linked the post to an FIR registered against him for alleged misconduct and said the statements had harmed the school's reputation among parents, alumni, and the public.

Examining the record, the court noted that the school is the registered proprietor of the marks “SANAWAR” and “THE LAWRENCE SCHOOL, SANAWAR,” and has used them extensively over time. The presence of “SANAWAR” in its domain names was also seen as reinforcing its exclusive rights and digital identity.

At this stage, the Court found that a prima facie case had been made out. The balance of convenience, it held, lay with the school, particularly given the potential damage to its goodwill if the content and use of its name continued unchecked.

The injunction restrains Subodh Sinha, the operators of the IITSA page, and those acting with them from using the school's name or any deceptively similar variant as a trademark, trade name, or domain name.

They have also been barred from using the school's insignia, campus imagery, or other identifying elements, including in connection with any platform presenting itself as an alumni forum.

Further directions prohibit the publication or circulation of any false or disparaging material concerning the school. The November 26 Facebook post is to be removed.

Meta Platforms Inc. has been asked to take down and block access to the content, along with any similar material relating to the school.

Summons have been issued. The defendants have 30 days to file their written statements. The matter is scheduled before the Joint Registrar on May 20, 2026.