News agency ANI files Rs 2 crore defamation suit against Wikipedia in Delhi High Court

News agency ANI Media Private Limited has filed a lawsuit against Wikipedia before the Delhi High Court over an alleged defamatory description, Live Law reported.

Justice Navin Chawla issued a notice on ANI's plea which sought interim relief in the matter and the case has been listed for hearing on August 20.

ANI has sought to restrain Wikipedia from publishing content that is allegedly defamatory on the news agency's page on the platform. The agency has also sought the content be removed. Besides, ANI has sought Rs 2 crore in damages from Wikipedia.

As per Wikipedia's page on ANI, the news agency has been "criticized for having served as a propaganda tool for the incumbent central government, distributing materials from a vast network of fake news websites, and misreporting events."

Sidhanth Kumar, the advocate for ANI, said that the content in the description is defamatory and Wikipedia, an intermediary, is a platform used as public utility and as such cannot behave as a private sector, the publication reported.

Kumar added that Wikipedia had closed the ANI page for editing by the news agency except for its own editors.

Justice Chawla, meanwhile, said that Wikipedia is entitled to its opinions and would explain its actions before the court.

ANI, in the suit against Wikmedia Foundation and its officials, said that the latter allegedly published palpably false and defamatory content with the malicious intent of tarnishing the news agency's reputation, and aimed to discredit its goodwill, Live Law said.

ANI has also alleged that Wikimedia actively participated, through its officials, in removing edits to reverse this content.