Google’s CEO Sundar Pichai issued contempt notice from a Mumbai court over defamatory YouTube video

Google CEO Sundar Pichai

A Mumbai court has issued a contempt notice against Google CEO Sundar Pichai. This notice has been filed citing YouTube's failure to comply with a previous order to remove a defamatory video targeting the Dhyan Foundation and its founder, Yogi Ashwini.

Allegations of non-compliance: Key details

According to a report by The Economic Times, on November 21, 2023, the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Ballard Pier issued a contempt notice over YouTube's repeated non-compliance with a March 2022 court order directing the removal of the video titled "Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut” on YouTube.

This follows a contempt plea, that was filed by the Dhyan Foundation in October 2022. The NGO has also accused Google of deliberately ignoring court orders and eventually delaying the process, which has tarnished the reputation of the NGO and its founder. Moreover, the alleged YouTube video titled “Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut,” remains accessible outside India despite the court’s takedown order.

In response, YouTube has cited immunity as an intermediary under the Information Technology (IT) Act, claiming that defamation does not fall under the categories of content listed in Section 69-A of the Act, which allows for blocking content. However, the court has rejected these claims and clarified that the IT Act does not restrict criminal courts from intervening in such cases.

The next hearing for this case is now scheduled for January 3, 2025. Further, Google is also being investigated by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) following a complaint from gaming platform WinZO.