Mon Dec 02 15:06:29 UTC 2024: ## Google CEO Hit with Contempt Notice Over Defamatory YouTube Video
**Mumbai, India –** Google CEO Sundar Pichai has been issued a contempt of court notice by a Mumbai court for YouTube’s failure to remove a defamatory video targeting the Dhyan Foundation and its founder, Yogi Ashwini. The Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate’s Court in Ballard Pier issued the notice following repeated non-compliance with a March 2022 order to remove the video, titled “Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut.”
The Dhyan Foundation filed a contempt plea in October 2022, alleging that Google deliberately ignored the court order. While the video has been removed within India, it remains accessible internationally, a point the Foundation argues continues to damage their reputation.
YouTube, citing intermediary immunity under the Information Technology (IT) Act, argued that defamation isn’t covered under Section 69-A, which allows for content blocking. The court rejected this argument, stating that the IT Act doesn’t prevent criminal courts from intervening in such cases.
The next hearing is scheduled for January 3, 2025. This legal battle comes as Google also faces an investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) following a complaint from gaming platform WinZO.
First Piper 