15:46
An NGO has withdrawn from the Delhi High Court its plea seeking Rs 10,000 crore in damages from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) over its documentary "India: The Modi Question", alleging that it casts a slur on the country's reputation and contains false and defamatory imputations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian judiciary.
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela permitted the petitioner's counsel to withdraw the suit, saying "Accordingly, the I.P.A. 1/2023 alongwith the suit is dismissed as withdrawn with liberty so sought, granted".
The lawyer for the Gujarat-based NGO, Justice On Trial, said he had instructions to withdraw the Indigent Person Application (IPA), along with the suit, with liberty to file a fresh suit for the same cause of action.
The court passed the order on September 3.
The NGO had filed an IPA, which enables an indigent person to file a lawsuit.
The high court had earlier issued notices to BBC (UK) and BBC (India) on the application filed by the NGO.
The plea said BBC (UK) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom and has released the two-part news documentary -- "India: The Modi Question" -- while BBC (India) is its local operations office. It said the two episodes were broadcast in January 2023.
The petitioner sought damages of Rs 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". -- PTI
