HC issues notice to BBC on plea for damages claiming its documentary on Modi tarnishes India's reputation
High Court on Monday issued fresh notice to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on a plea by an NGO seeking damages, claiming its documentary «India: The Modi Question» casts a slur on the country's reputation and makes false and defamatory imputations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian judiciary.
Besides BBC, Justice Sachin Datta also issued fresh notice to BBC (India) on the plea filed by Gujarat-based NGO Justice On Trial.
«Issue fresh notice to the defendants through all permissible modes,» the high court said, and listed the matter for further hearing on December 15.
It had on May 22 issued notice to the defendants on the plea which has said BBC (UK) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom and has released the news documentary — «India: The Modi Question» — which has two episodes and BBC (India) is its local operations office.
It said the two episodes were published in January 2023.
The petitioner has sought damages of Rs 10,000 crore in favour of the NGO and against the defendants on account of the «loss of reputation and goodwill caused to the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India, the Government of India, the Government of the State of Gujarat as it was during the period of the Gujarat Riots, and also the people of India».
The first part of the documentary, released by the BBC for its UK audiences, revives the most controversial episode of Modi’s political career when he was the chief minister of western Gujarat state in 2002, when more than 1,000 people were killed in anti-Muslim riots.
India blocked the documentary and banned people from sharing it online, authorities were scrambling to halt screenings of the program at colleges and restricted clips of it on social media, a move that
