Sat Apr 05 02:12:23 UTC 2025: ## Delhi High Court Fines BJP Leader for Withholding Facts in Privacy Lawsuit
**New Delhi, April 5, 2025** – The Delhi High Court has fined BJP leader Shazia Ilmi ₹25,000 for withholding information in a defamation and privacy lawsuit against journalist Rajdeep Sardesai. The case stems from a July 2024 debate on ‘Kargil Diwas’ and the Agniveers scheme, during which Ms. Ilmi left the set after heated exchanges.
While the court ruled that a portion of the video showing Ms. Ilmi leaving the debate violated her right to privacy, it found her claims regarding the recording of her removing her microphone to be “misconceived” and an “afterthought.” The court stated that if Ms. Ilmi objected to being filmed removing her microphone, she should have explicitly requested the cameraman to stop recording beforehand. The court upheld its August 2024 interim order directing Mr. Sardesai to remove the video from his X account.
The court further criticized Ms. Ilmi for failing to disclose the full X conversation thread related to her defamation claim, stating she “wilfully suppressed” relevant tweets. The ₹25,000 fine will be paid to the Delhi High Court Bar Clerks’ Association. The ruling highlights the importance of complete disclosure in legal proceedings and the careful consideration of privacy rights in televised debates.
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