News Mania Desk/Sohom Chatterjee/6th September 2024
The Delhi High Court has issued a contempt of court notice to the worldwide free online encyclopedia, Wikipedia as Indian news agency ANI submitted the request on the basis of Wikipedia’s incompetence to comply with the court’s order to disclose information about users who had made defamatory edits on ANI’s Wiki page.
Wikipedia is a free, open-content encyclopedia that can be edited by any online user and is often manipulated and misused by miscreants.
ANI, a well-reputed Indian news agency has brought charges against Wikipedia for defamation as some users had edited their Wikipedia page which referred to them as a “propaganda tool” for the present central government.
Earlier, the Delhi HC had summoned official representatives of Wikipedia and ordered them to disclose information about the three people who had made the defamatory edits about ANI. However, the organisation could not send their officials as they are not based in India.
Represented by advocate Sidhant Kumar, ANI filed a contempt application to the court on Thursday against Wikipedia as they failed to provide the necessary information. The judge of this case, Justice Navin Chawla was furious with their conduct as he said, “I will impose contempt…It is not a question of Defendant No 1 [Wikipedia] not being an entity in India. We will close your business transactions here. We will ask the government to block Wikipedia…Earlier also you people have taken this argument. If you don’t like India, please don’t work in India.”
Advocate Tine Abraham is representing the organisation and he was told that his client must send at least one authorised representative to the Court in the next hearing session scheduled on October 25
