A Delhi Court is hearing a civil defamation suit filed by Advocate Amita Sachdeva against YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, seeking an injunction and damages over a video concerning Hindu deities.
During the hearing, the plaintiff submitted that Dhruv Rathee was on a mission to defame my religious feelings and argued that a person’s religious identity could form part of their identity for which legal remedies should be available. Referring to the Delhi High Court’s earlier proceedings concerning the videos, the plaintiff submitted that the High Court had granted liberty to institute an appropriate proceeding.
The plaintiff’s counsel argued that the issue raised an important jurisprudential question, acknowledging that no precedent directly addressing the issue could be found. Drawing an analogy with the legal recognition of a deity’s capacity to own property, counsel submitted that where a deity could not personally approach the Court alleging defamation, a devotee should be able to seek a remedy.
The Court, however, expressed reservations over granting immediate relief, observing that no relief can be granted. The Court noted that
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“How can I say, ‘Shut his mouth’?”
The plaintiff’s counsel submitted that the question of relief could be considered at trial and requested that summons be issued to the defendants.
The matter has been listed for November 5.