Quick note:
This piece tells you about the current status of the right to be forgotten India, the Delhi High Court’s decision in May, who can demand de-indexing and who cannot, and how to go about it practically.
It also covers what the DPDP Act can and can’t do for you and where a reputation team makes sense.
Does India really have a right to be forgotten now
Partly, yes. On 29 May 2026, Justice Sachin Datta of the Delhi High Court delivered a 144-page judgment confirming that the right to be forgotten falls within the ambit of the right to privacy guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. The 2026 decision of the Delhi High Court on the right to be forgotten is the strongest legal precedent available on this issue till now.
The court also said India still has no full law on this subject and that the right is not absolute. Every request is judged on its own facts. The right to be forgotten India exists for sure but is very practical, on a case-by-case basis.
What has the court ordered
There was no order for deletion of the judgement/report in question. The order for de-indexing means that the page cannot be accessed anymore by searching through your name. The judgment will continue to exist and be accessible via case number, citation or date.
In effect, the court let people de-index Google results that Indian users see for their name, but only in the right cases.
Google and Indian Kanoon were told to act in the petitions where relief was granted. The court said the order should cover all versions of the search engine, not only the Indian one.
There is also a second remedy called masking. Your name in the public copy of a judgment is replaced with a neutral letter, and the full copy stays with the court. You ask for it from the court that passed the original order. Once a masking order exists, search engines must de-index that judgment from name searches.
Who may get relief, and who probably won’t
If you want to remove name from Google search India, first check which side of this table you sit on.
| The court was open to relief: | The court was not open to relief: |
| Acquittal, discharge, closed case or quashed FIR | Conviction for an offence against women or children |
| Settled disputes where the complainant no longer pursues the matter | Conviction involving breach of public trust, such as public servants, elected representatives or people in fiduciary roles |
| Private matrimonial or civil disputes that ended long ago | Public figures, when the allegation links to their public role |
| Old or wrong information causing harm far bigger than any public benefit | Matters that still carry public interest |
The court does take into account factors such as age, accuracy and harm caused by the information in question.
It said these points are not a checklist.
Here is a made-up example. A shop owner in Delhi was named in an FIR after a business fight, and the case was quashed after a settlement in 2022. The first result for his name is still a news story about his arrest. He fits the settlement and quashing group, so he has a fair case under the Delhi High Court’s right-to-be-forgotten 2026 framework.
Where things stand right now
This is not settled yet. The Indian Kanoon has made appeals against the May judgment, and it is pending before a Division Bench of the Delhi High Court. In an order dated 30 September 2026, the said bench has clarified that the de-indexing orders do not pertain to Meta Platforms, Inc., including Facebook.
Separately, in February 2026, the Supreme Court stayed a different Delhi High Court order that had de-indexed news reports about a banker after his discharge. In our view, court records have the stronger case right now, and news reports are the shakier part, since the Supreme Court is looking at that exact question. Until the appeals are decided, be careful with anyone who promises to de-index Google results India overnight.
How to remove name from Google search India: the practical steps.
- List every link. Make note of the URL, the date, and the type: news story, court case, forum discussion, or a page with your phone number.
- Take a screenshot. Ask the website owner first. It costs nothing. Once it is removed, Google will automatically remove it from the results after refreshing.
- Use Google tools. The “Results about you” tool deals with information that includes your phone number, home address, and email. Reports state that Google responds within a few days to see if the page is widely useful, which may include news pages.
- Go to court for court records. This needs a lawyer. The next section explains it.
- Push down what can’t come off. Accurate profiles, interviews and your own website can rank above old links. This hides a link; it does not delete it.
- Keep checking. Search your name every month or two, because old pages get copied or come back.
Steps 1, 5 and 6 are the parts we handle at Repute Matters for individuals, along with writing to site owners and sending Google requests. We tell people the same thing every time. Nobody can promise that a link will vanish for good.
How to remove an old court case from Google India
Most people who ask how to remove an old court case from Google India expect a form to fill. There isn’t one. The route is a court application.
Check that you fit one of the groups in the table above. Then your lawyer files a writ petition in the High Court, as the petitioners did in the Delhi case, asking for de-indexing from name searches and masking from the court that passed the original judgment. Keep a copy of the acquittal, discharge or quashing order, or the settlement papers, along with every URL.
What a DPDP Act erasure request can and cannot do
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, gives you the right to ask for correction and erasure of personal data that a company handles with your consent. A (DPDP) Digital Personal Data Protection Act erasure request goes to the company first, through its grievance process. The company can say no if it needs the data for the purpose it was collected or to comply with the law.
The rules were notified on 13 November 2025, but the parts covering these rights start on 13 May 2027. Until then, you rely on a company’s own deletion tools. A court record or news story is not data you handed over with consent, so we would not count on a DPDP Act erasure request to remove those from Google. It works better for apps, websites and companies that hold your details.
Which route fits which problem
| Problem: | First route: | What to expect? |
| Phone number, address or email in results | Google’s Results About You tool | A reply in a few days, as reported |
| Blog or forum post about you | Ask the site owner, then send a Google request. | Depends on the owner |
| Old judgment after acquittal or discharge | Court application for masking and de-indexing | Needs a lawyer and an eligible case |
| News story about a closed case | Ask the publisher, then talk to a lawyer. | The least settled area right now |
| Data held by an app or company | The company’s deletion tools | DPDP rights start from 13 May 2027 |
Where do we fit in
At Repute Matters, we are based in New Delhi and handle individual cases like old news stories, private details showing in search results, and unwanted images. We’ll be upfront about one thing. This is a legal issue and requires a lawyer.
This is what we do to circumvent it. We find where each link comes from, we contact website owners, we request Google removal, we create additional truthful pages so older links move down, and then we monitor your name further. Our team will provide you with the estimated timeline after examining your links because every situation is unique.
Conclusion
The right to be forgotten as India recognises today is less extensive than the phrase implies. While the right will erase acquittals or finalised cases from your name search, it does not erase convictions for offences or public officials. Begin with the source and Google India forms, and if necessary, take the court route only for court orders. Follow the cases in the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court.
If you want someone to look at your links and tell you which route fits, you can reach us at Repute Matters for a free consultation.
FAQs
Q1. What did the Delhi High Court right to be forgotten 2026 judgment decide?
It said the right to be forgotten is part of privacy under Article 21 and allowed de-indexing and masking in suitable cases, mainly acquittals, discharges, quashed cases, settlements and private disputes.
Q2. Can I remove name from Google search India without going to court?
Sometimes. For phone numbers, addresses and similar details, Google has its own request tool. For blogs and forum posts, ask the site owner. Court is needed mainly for court records and some news cases.
Q3. Does de-indexing delete the webpage/judgement from the web?
No. The page stays online. De-indexing simply ensures the webpage is not visible after entering your name and does not delete the page or the judgment, which is accessible by case number/date of judgment.
Q4. What should I do regarding removal of my old court case from Google India, where I had been acquitted?
Get the acquittal order and all URLs ready, and have the lawyer file a petition for de-indexing and masking at the relevant High Court.
Q5. Is a DPDP Act erasure request likely to erase a news article written on me?
Unlikely, since the right applies to data processed by a company with your consent, and its provisions come into effect from 13 May 2027.
Q6. Can I de-index Google results India for a conviction?
Not for offences against women or children, or breach of public trust. Other convictions are judged case by case, and the court declined relief in one recent conviction it considered.
Q7. Do public figures get the same relief?
But then when the allegation is in connection with their public function. In this case, according to the court, even private matters such as family disagreements may remain confidential.
