A Mumbai court has issued a contempt notice to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, following YouTube’s failure to comply with an order to remove a defamatory video targeting the Dhyan Foundation and its founder, Yogi Ashwini. The court is set to hear the case in January 2025.
The video in question, titled “Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut,” was flagged by the Dhyan Foundation in March 2023 for containing harmful and false claims. A Ballard Pier court had previously instructed YouTube to take down the video, citing its damaging impact on the foundation’s reputation.
However, YouTube, citing immunity under the Information Technology Act, refused to remove the content, arguing that defamation cases should be handled in civil courts, not criminal ones. The court rejected this defense, reinforcing that criminal courts retain the authority to act in such matters when public order is at risk.
The court emphasized that the video’s harmful nature was uncontested and could potentially incite public unrest, particularly due to the sensitive beliefs of Dhyan Foundation’s followers.
Dhyan Foundation’s complaint now centers on YouTube’s continued non-compliance with the order, prompting the contempt petition that has resulted in the court’s notice to Pichai.
