Remove ‘objectionable’ video clips, Bombay HC directs YouTube, Google

A bench of Bombay High Court on Friday directed Google India and You Tube to immediately remove video clips that bring disrepute to the judges and spoil image of judiciary.

Complaints which defame judiciary should be brought to the notice of the High Court Registry which in turn would inform Google and YouTube about these objectionable video clips, said the full bench headed by Chief Justice Manjula Chellur.

The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by Bombay Bar Association (BBA) challenging a video clip on YouTube which purportedly showed proceedings in a courtroom of a high court and levelled allegations of corruption against the judge.

BBA counsel Srihari Aney informed the court that despite its earlier order such video clips were still being uploaded on websites and that it should be immediately stopped.

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The bench then directed YouTube and Google to ensure that such video clips are removed immediately if brought to their notice by the high court registry.

The court had earlier issued notices to YouTube and search engine Google, seeking their response as to why action for contempt of court should not be initiated against them.

The petition sought contempt action against the persons who recorded and uploaded the video on YouTube levelling allegations of corruption against Justice S J Kathawala of the high court.

“The 38-minute video uploaded last week by ‘Right Mirror’ copies the format of a news channel and shows a person acting as anchor and taking interviews of several persons including lawyer Nilesh Ojha making scandalous remarks against judges of this high court,” said the petition.

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A division bench of the high court had last month also ordered YouTube and other respondents to remove this video clip immediately. “Considering the scandalous and contemptuous nature of the video, we are inclined to order the respondents to forthwith remove the offending video,” the court had said.