SC sets aside Delhi HC orders against Wikimedia; gives ANI liberty to move fresh plea in HC to remove ‘specific content’
The Hindu
Supreme Court sets aside Delhi High Court orders on Wikipedia page takedown in defamation case, granting fresh plea opportunity.
The Supreme Court on Thursday (April 17, 2025) set aside the orders passed by the Delhi High Court directing the takedown of a Wikipedia page on the basis of a defamation case filed by the news agency, Asia News International (ANI), against U.S.-based non-profit Wikimedia Foundation.
A Bench of Justices A.S. Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan observed that the High Court orders of April 2 and April 8, passed by a Single-Judge Bench and Division Bench, respectively, were based on prayers made by ANI that were too wide and incapable of being enforced.
Justice Oka, during the hearing, advised the counsel appearing for ANI to return to the High Court with a fresh application pointing out the specific content on the page that it felt was “false, misleading and defamatory”.
“Go back to the Single Judge [of the High Court] to make specific prayers pointing out specific portions to be removed from their website… When you say ‘remove all false content’, what is to be removed… who decides what is defamatory,” Justice Oka asked the counsel.
The counsel for the news agency said his client had no objection to the top court setting aside the High Court orders while granting liberty to make a fresh plea for grant of interim injunction limited to specific contents or republication of the same content.
“This [page] is dynamic in nature. Every time I [ANI] assail certain statements on the page, new statements or republication of the same statements with slightly different verbiage may come… They change a word or two and the same content comes back,” he submitted.
Accordingly, the Bench quashed the High Court orders and allowed the news agency to make a fresh application before a Single Judge for “grant of appropriate interim injunction in respect of specific content therein the site of the petitioner [Wikimedia] or republication of the specific content”.
Bengaluru commuters demand platform screen doors for safety, but high costs and engineering challenges hinder implementation on existing metro routes.
Madras HC to hear appeals on December 12 regarding the lighting of Mahadeepam at Thirupparankundram temple.
N. Ram warns that hate politics threatens India’s democracy, urging the South to remain a bastion against these forces.
Nanjil Sampath joins Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, revitalizing his political career after six years away from party politics.
D.K. Shivakumar announces that five Blue Line stations will open once construction is completed, enhancing Bengaluru's airport connectivity.
Russia begins fuel shipments for Kudankulam's third reactor, enhancing efficiency and extending operational cycles for the nuclear power project.
Supreme Court urges governments to simplify administration, warning that excessive rules may lead to judicial review and citizen burdens.
Trinamool MP Shatabdi Roy's remarks on Bangla-speaking deportations spark protests in Lok Sabha, igniting a heated political debate.
Sunali Khatun returns to India with her son after six months in Bangladesh, following Supreme Court intervention.
Warangal will be developed on the lines of Hyderabad, says Revanth
Three-tier security measures and traffic restrictions are in place for the India-South Africa ODI match in Vizag.
A seven-year-old girl dies from severe dengue shock syndrome in Bengaluru, highlighting the challenges faced by migrant families in healthcare access.
DGP reviews security arrangements for Global Summit