New Delhi: Google on Tuesday told the Delhi High Court that it has blocked a YouTube video by social media influencer Dhruv Rathee in India following an order issued by the Centre’s Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC).
The submission was made before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma during a hearing on a petition filed by advocate Amita Sachdeva. The petitioner has alleged that the video, uploaded by Rathee on March 21, contained objectionable and allegedly derogatory remarks concerning Hindu deities and had received millions of views on YouTube.
Google’s counsel told the court that the video had been restricted only in India. The issue of a global injunction is already pending before a division bench of the High Court, the court was informed.
Sachdeva argued that the GAC had directed Google on July 15 to remove the video within 24 hours, but that restricting it only in India amounted to only partial compliance with the order.
Justice Sharma noted that the issue concerning a global injunction was already before the division bench and observed that Google had taken the action available to it at this stage.
The court has now adjourned the matter until September 3.
Earlier, on July 3, the High Court had directed the GAC to decide Sachdeva’s application within 15 days. The application sought removal of the allegedly objectionable video.
The petitioner had previously argued that the GAC, constituted under the Centre’s Information Technology framework, had failed to decide her appeal against Google’s refusal to immediately remove the video.
