Delhi HC issues fresh notice to BBC over its Gujarat riots documentary

A fresh notice was issued by the Delhi high court on Monday to the British Broadcasting Corporation on a plea seeking damages, claiming BBC’s documentary “India: The Modi Question” casts a slur on the country's reputation.

The notices was issued to BBC (UK) and to BBC (India) on the plea filed by Gujarat-based NGO Justice On Trial.

Earlier also the notices were issued to BBC (UK) and BBC (India) but they could not be served, informed the counsel for the NGO to the high court.

Advocate Siddharth Sharma, representing the NGO, sought more time to serve the notices to the defendants.

“Issue fresh notice to the defendants through all permissible modes,” the high court ordered.

The matter has been listed for next hearing on December 15.

On May 22, the Delhi high court had issued notices 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.

The plea also mentioned that the two episodes were published in January 2023.

The plea claimed that the “disparaging and defamatory” statements of the defendant have caused grave and irreparable injury to the reputation of and denuded the goodwill that has been built by the Prime Minister of India, the Government of India, the Government of the State of Gujarat and also the people of India.

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The BBC documentary relates to the 2002 Gujarat riots when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state.

The documentary, soon after its release, was banned by the Modi government.

The petitioner has sought damages of ₹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”. 

(With inputs from PTI)