PANAJI: Bombay high court has sought responses from Meta India and Union home ministry (MHA) over the alleged “illegal and fraudulent suspension” of a 28-year-old Goa influencer’s Instagram account. Harshad Hiru Naik claims an unknown person got him to use the word “Hitler” in a purported promotional content, triggering Instagram’s block.Naik has moved the HC saying a central grievance appellate committee failed to decide his appeal against the suspension. He is now seeking directions to restrain Meta India from permanently deleting his account data and digital assets, and a stay on the operation of a 180-day deletion mechanism. Naik’s advocate Jatin Ramaiya has sought the HC’s directives to the appellate committee to dispose of his appeal within a specific time, and for Goa police to register an FIR and trace the unknown person who led him to use the word “Hitler”.In his petition, Naik says he has been working as a digital entrepreneur and travel content creator, with 1.9 lakh followers on Instagram and 1.5 lakh on Facebook through content promoting Goa and its natural beauty.In March this year, Naik says he was approached by the unknown person with a purported shop called “Hitler Garments, Kanpur” to promote the business on his Instagram page. The alleged fraudster manipulated him into adding the address “Shop Hitler Garment Kanpur” to the bio section of his Instagram account as part of a purported promotional arrangement. Following the suspension, Naik says the fraudster offered to restore the account in exchange for money and then went incommunicado.Twelve linked accounts of Naik have also simultaneously been disabled. As a result, he says he has been completely locked out and is unable to take down the content that triggered the block. He has already filed a complaint with Goa police alleging cyber fraud and extortion among other offences.
