Mon Dec 02 21:03:14 UTC 2024: ## Google CEO Sundar Pichai Faces Contempt Notice in India Over Defamatory YouTube Video

**Mumbai, India –** Google CEO Sundar Pichai has been issued a contempt 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 on November 21st, following a March 2022 order demanding the video’s removal.

The video, titled “Pakhandi Baba ki Kartut,” contains allegations the Dhyan Foundation, an animal welfare NGO, claims are false and malicious. The foundation filed a contempt petition in October 2022, alleging that YouTube, owned by Google, deliberately ignored the court order and employed delaying tactics.

YouTube argued that its intermediary immunity under the IT Act shields it from liability in defamation cases, suggesting such matters should be handled in civil courts. However, the court rejected this argument, stating that the IT Act doesn’t prevent criminal courts from intervening in such cases.

The contempt case will proceed on January 3, 2024. This legal action adds to the increasing regulatory scrutiny Google faces in India, including an ongoing investigation by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) into alleged anti-competitive practices in the gaming market. Previous penalties have also been levied against Google for abusing its dominance in the Android ecosystem and Play Store.

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