NEW DELHI: Delhi HC has directed a TV news channel to take down a YouTube video of a debate in which BJP spokesperson Sanju Verma used derogatory words against Congress‘s Shama Mohamed.
HC said in its recent order that freedom of speech and expression under the Constitution was “subject to reasonable restrictions in interest of public decency/morality or in relation to defamation or incitement of offences”. Mohamed has filed a defamation suit against Verma and the news channel over the Aug 20 debate on the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital earlier that month.
A single judge bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan also ordered X (formerly Twitter) to take down over a dozen tweets harming the reputation of Mohamed, a Congress spokesperson as well as a doctor.
HC also issued summons to Verma, the news channel and online platforms. Mohamed’s counsel had contended before the HC that instead of engaging with the merits of her statements, Verma resorted to malicious and vicious name-calling against her during the TV debate.