The Supreme Court on Monday cast doubt on the Delhi High Court’s directive to remove a Wikipedia page titled Asian News International vs. Wikimedia Foundation.
A Bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, while hearing Wikimedia Foundation’s challenge against the High Court’s ruling, expressed surprise at the decision.
“Every day, courts face sharp criticism in the media. Unless it amounts to contempt, why be so sensitive? This kind of criticism is fleeting—it will be read today and forgotten tomorrow,” the Bench remarked.
The Justices further questioned how the High Court could justify ordering the takedown of the page unless it contained contemptuous material.
“If there was contempt, action could be taken. But how can there be a blanket order to take down the page? Even if the court is criticized, unless it meets the threshold for contempt, how does that justify erasure?” they observed.
The page in question, which has already been removed, detailed ANI’s defamation case against Wikipedia in the Delhi High Court. It was not directly critical of ANI but included court proceedings and remarks from judges during hearings.
The controversy began when ANI accused Wikipedia of allowing edits that referred to the news agency as a “propaganda tool” for the current government. The High Court issued summons to Wikipedia in July 2024, demanding details on three users who made the edits. When compliance was delayed, the court ordered a Wikipedia representative to appear in person.
During the proceedings, a Division Bench took issue with the existence of a Wikipedia page documenting the case itself, eventually ordering its removal. The matter escalated to the Supreme Court, which has now raised serious questions about the High Court’s stance on online discourse and judicial scrutiny.
Meanwhile, on April 2, the Delhi High Court passed another interim order instructing Wikimedia Foundation to remove additional alleged defamatory content related to ANI.
