Delhi High Court Orders Quick Review of Controversial YouTube Video by Dhruv Rathee
Court Directs Grievance Appellate Committee to Act Swiftly
File image of Youtuber Dhruv Rathee(Photo: @adityasvlogs/X)
New Delhi, July 3: The Delhi High Court has instructed the Union government's Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) to make a decision within 15 days regarding an appeal for the removal of a YouTube video by Dhruv Rathee, which has been accused of containing defamatory content and offending religious sentiments.
A single-judge bench led by Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma issued this directive while addressing a petition from advocate Amita Sachdeva, who requested the GAC to review her appeal concerning the video titled "Can Hindus eat BEEF? | Kerala Story 2 EXPOSED," which was uploaded on March 21.
"The appellate authority is to resolve the petitioner's appeal promptly, within 15 days from the receipt of this order. Should there be any further issues, the petitioner may file a new petition," the Delhi High Court stated.
The court emphasized that any failure to comply with its directives would be taken seriously. During the proceedings, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma, representing the Union government, argued that the intermediary should have exercised due diligence in removing the content.
ASG Sharma contended that the video included disparaging remarks about Hindu deities, which could be harmful and divisive. He referenced a prior ruling from the Delhi High Court, asserting that intermediaries must evaluate whether content is detrimental to society and take necessary actions to remove it.
The Centre's legal representative further suggested that Google should either voluntarily take down the video or an order could be issued based on the previous legal framework established by the Delhi High Court.
Legal counsel for Google LLC informed Justice Sharma that a response had already been provided to the petitioner and that an appeal was currently pending with the GAC. The counsel also assured that the intermediary would adhere to any judicial orders regarding the matter.
After noting the submissions, the Delhi High Court concluded the petition and instructed the GAC to resolve the appeal within the specified 15-day timeframe.
The petition claimed that the controversial video falsely asserted that revered Hindu figures, such as Lord Ram, Sita, and Lord Krishna, consumed meat and alcohol, thus offending the religious sentiments of their followers.
It was alleged that the video was "extremely derogatory, inflammatory, and sensitive to communal issues," prompting the request for its removal.
Petitioner Sachdeva has also initiated criminal proceedings related to the video before a metropolitan magistrate, where a report on actions taken has reportedly been requested from the police.