New Delhi: The Delhi High Court summoned the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Monday in a defamation suit alleging that its two-part documentary titled 'India: The Modi Question' tarnished India's reputation, its judiciary, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Justice Sachin Datta issued the summons and scheduled the case for further consideration in September.
According to the Bar and Bench, the defamation suit was filed by Justice on Trial, a non-profit organization based in Gujarat. Senior Advocate Harish Salve represented the organization and claimed that the documentary had defamed India and the entire system, including the judiciary.
Earlier, a district court in Delhi had also summoned the BBC in a defamation suit filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Binay Kumar Singh in connection with the same documentary.
Singh argued that although the Indian government had banned the documentary, a Wikipedia page dedicated to the series provided links to watch it, and the content was still available on the Internet Archive.
Singh sought an injunction against the BBC, Wikimedia, and Internet Archive to prevent them from publishing the documentary or any other material against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
The BBC responded to the plea by arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction to handle the defamation case. The case is scheduled for arguments on May 26.
In April, the Delhi High Court overturned a Delhi University (DU) order that had expelled Lokesh Chugh, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) national secretary. Chugh had allegedly organized the screening of the documentary.