Delhi High Court Issues Notice To BBC For Alleged Defamatory Imputations On PM And Judiciary In News Documentary

The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on a plea by an NGO, Justice On Trial seeking damages. The plea contends that the documentary "India: The Modi Question" contains content which casts a slur on the reputation of the country and also makes false and defamatory imputations and insinuations against the Prime Minister of India, the Indian Judiciary and the Indian criminal justice system.

BBC is a national broadcaster of the United Kingdom, while BBC (India) is its local operations office.

"Issue notice to the respondents through all permissible modes, returnable on September 25, 2023", Justice Sachin Datta observed while hearing the matter.

Senior Advocate Harish Salve appeared for the plaintiff.

The plaintiff, is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and also registered as a Public trust under the provisions of the Bombay Public Trust, 1950, filed the suit for damages, invoking Order XXXIII of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, seeking permission to file as an indigent person. 

The Supreme Court earlier had issued notice on the two pleas, pertaining to the same subject matter, however with different inherent challenges. One challenging the alleged ban by the Centre on the BBC Documentary "India: The Modi Question" and the other challenging the order of the Centre to remove tweets of persons sharing the documentary.

The Court had adjourned the pleas to April, for completion of pleadings. The Court refused to list the matters on any earlier dates and directed the Centre to file its Counter Affidavit in three weeks.

A Bench comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice MM Sundresh refused to pass an interim order directing the Centre to produce documents relating to the action taken by the Centre, as prayed for by the petitioners. It also was not inclined to go into the issue raised by Senior Advocate CU Singh about Universities taking action against students who displayed the documentary in campus.

Cause Title: Justice On Trial v. British Broadcasting Corporation (India) & Anr.

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