Delhi High Court Warns Wikipedia in ANI's Contempt Plea Over Defamation

The Delhi High Court has issued a stern warning to Wikipedia during a hearing on a contempt plea filed by ANI Media Private Limited, alleging that the platform failed to comply with a judicial order. ANI's defamation suit against Wikipedia concerns allegedly defamatory content published on ANI's Wikipedia page, which the news agency claims tarnishes its reputation.

Justice Navin Chawla took strong objection to Wikipedia's delayed appearance before the court, citing the platform's argument that it was not based in India. The judge remarked that if Wikipedia does not respect Indian laws, it should not operate in the country, suggesting that the government may be asked to block Wikipedia's operations in India if it does not comply. The dispute began after ANI sought judicial intervention to restrain Wikipedia from publishing defamatory content and demanded the removal of the content from the platform. ANI also sought Rs. 2 crores in damages. The content in question accused ANI of acting as a propaganda tool for the Indian government, mishandling employees, and misreporting events related to the 2023 Manipur violence.

On August 20, Wikipedia appeared before the court and confirmed that the three individuals involved in editing the content were not administrators on the platform. The court ordered Wikipedia to provide subscriber details of these individuals to ANI within two weeks. However, ANI alleged non-compliance and filed a contempt plea. In response, the court has now directed Wikipedia's authorized representative to appear personally at the next hearing. Justice Chawla further hinted that Wikipedia could face the closure of its business operations in India if it fails to follow court directives.

The next hearing is expected to address both the contempt plea and Wikipedia's continued compliance with Indian legal proceedings.