Defamation suit filed against Dhruv Rathee at Saket Court
YouTuber Dhruv Rathee faces a defamation suit in Delhi's Saket Court over videos involving religious sentiments. Next hearing on November 5.
In a significant legal development, popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee is facing a defamation suit filed in Delhi's Saket Court. The legal action follows allegations that certain content posted by the content creator contained objectionable claims regarding Lord Rama and Mata Sita.
Religious sentiments and legal action
The petitioner in this case is Supreme Court Advocate-on-Record (AOR) Amita Sachdeva. According to the petition, the video in question was found to be hurting religious sentiments. This issue had previously gained administrative attention, with the central government's Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) deeming the video offensive, leading to its restriction on YouTube within India.
The legal battle highlights a complex intersection of digital content, religious identity, and the law. The petitioner is seeking several forms of relief from the court, including:
- A formal judicial declaration regarding the content.
- An injunction to prevent the posting of similar videos in the future.
- Financial damages for the alleged violation of religious sentiments.
Novel legal arguments presented
During the court proceedings, the counsel representing Amita Sachdeva introduced a unique jurisprudential argument regarding the legal standing of deities. Addressing the question of whether a deity can be a party to a lawsuit, the counsel noted that while a deity itself may not approach the court, a person can do so on their behalf.
"There was a doubt as to whether a deity could own an asset. The Supreme Court has settled that issue. Likewise, if somebody defames a deity, it is not Lord Ramchandra who will approach the court. Somebody will have to approach the court," the counsel argued, asserting that a citizen's religious identity is an intrinsic part of their legal character.
Next hearing scheduled
This case follows previous scrutiny by the Delhi High Court, which had previously directed regulatory compliance regarding the controversial video. The video remains restricted in India following administrative reviews involving platforms like Google and the central government's regulatory bodies.
The Saket Court has scheduled the next hearing for this matter on November 5.