- Monday, December 02, 2024
The video in question, titled “Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut” attacks Dhyan Foundation and its founder, Yogi Ashwini, and remains accessible outside India, despite the court’s order
By: Shajil Kumar
GOOGLE CEO Sundar Pichai has been issued a contempt notice by a Mumbai court after its subsidiary YouTube failed to comply with an earlier order to take down an allegedly defamatory video targeting an animal welfare NGO.
On November 21, the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Ballard Pier questioned why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against Pichai for YouTube’s non-compliance with its March 2023 directive.
The video in question, titled “Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut” attacks Dhyan Foundation and its founder, Yogi Ashwini, and remains accessible outside India, despite the court’s order.
The case, filed by Dhyan Foundation, has been scheduled for further hearing on January 3, 2025.
In its petition, the Dhyan Foundation claimed that YouTube had “intentionally and deliberately” failed to remove the objectionable video, which allegedly tarnishes the reputation of the NGO and its founder.
YouTube cited immunity as an intermediary under the Information Technology (IT) Act, claiming that defamation does not fall under the categories of content listed in Section 69-A of the Act, which allows for blocking content.
The platform argued that such disputes should be addressed in civil courts, not criminal ones.
The court rejected the claims and clarified further that the IT Act does not restrict criminal courts from intervening in such cases.
