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A screengrab of national spokesperson of Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Shazia Ilmi from the debate.
Credit: X/@sardesairajdeep
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed veteran journalist Rajdeep Sardesai to take down an "objectionable" video from social media showing BJP leader Shazia Ilmi purportedly abusing a video journalist.
Justice Manmeet P S Arora passed the interim order on a plea by Ilmi claiming that she was defamed and her privacy violated by the cameraperson’s act of recording her even when the news debate show was over and she had withdrawn her consent.
“This court is also of the opinion that since the video was recorded after the plaintiff (Ilmi) had removed herself from the show, the happening of the events was a matter between the plaintiff and defendant no. 12 (cameraperson) and also the issue of the privacy of the plaintiff is a matter on which the court would like to hear defendant 1 (Sardesai), defendant 2 (India Today) and defendant 12's submissions," the judge said.
The court also issued notices to the defendants and listed the matter for further hearing on August 16.
The judge also asked the parties to place on record the transcript of the video.
The court sought to know whether Sardesai was authorised by the media house to use the footage, and asked his lawyer to take instructions about it.
The controversy arose after Ilmi took part in a debate Sardesai hosted on the news channel last month on the Agniveer scheme row. After some sharp exchanges between the two, Ilmi left the show midway.
Later, the veteran journalist put out a video and a post on social media which Ilmi claimed were objectionable and a violation of her privacy.
“The show was over, my consent was over. Thereafter, I can’t be recorded in my personal space without my consent” her counsel contended in the court.