New Delhi, 08/07/2023: In a defamation suit filed by a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader seeking an injunction on the airing of the documentary series “India: The Modi Question,” a Delhi court issued fresh summons to the BBC, Wikimedia Foundation, and Internet Archives on Friday through the Department of Legal Affairs.
According to Additional District Judge Ruchika Singla of the Rohini court, the defendants are foreign entities, so summons serving must be carried out per guidelines established by the Delhi High Court.
This comes after BJP functionary Binay Kumar Singh filed a civil defamation suit seeking a permanent injunction order to prevent the three organisations (defendants in the case) from publishing the banned BBC documentary series on the 2002 Gujarat riots when Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was the state’s chief minister.
According to the Hague Convention, the court reserved its decision on the point of delivery of summons to BBC and other parties on May 26. After hearing the arguments, the court stated that the parties involved in the litigation are subject to the Hague Convention because the relevant countries are all Hague Convention participants.
Noting that the summons had not been appropriately effected, justice Singla issued a fresh summons and listed the matter for further hearing on November 18.
