Defamation Suit: Delhi Court Directs Bloomberg To Take Down Article On Zee

A Delhi Court yesterday directed media platform “The Bloomberg” to take down an allegedly defamatory article on Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited.

Additional District Judge Harjyot Singh Bhalla of Saket Courts passed the order in a defamation suit filed by Zee Entertainment against Bloomberg Television Production Services India Private Limited, the company which manages the online news platform, and authors as well as researchers of the publication in question.

The article titled “India Regulator Uncovers $ 241 Million Accounting Issue at Zee” was published by The Bloomberg on February 21.

The court observed that Zee had made out a prima facie case for passing ad interim ex-parte orders of injunction and balance of convenience was also in its favour and against The Bloomberg.

It added that irreparable loss and injury may be caused to Zee if the injunction was not granted.

“In view thereof, defendant no.1 and defendant no.2 (The Bloomberg) are directed to take down the article dated 21.02.2024 (page 84 to 86 of the plaintiff's document) from online platform within one week of receipt of this order,” the court ordered.

It further restrained the online news platform from posting, circulating or publishing the article on any online or offline platform till March 26, the next date of hearing.

It was Zee's case that the article was defamatory and was published to malign and defame it, with a pre-meditated and malafide intention.

It was submitted that the contents of the article directly pertained to corporate governance and business operations of Zee and speculated the contents as truth.

It was further contended that after the article was published, Zee and its investors suffered economically, inasmuch as, the stock price of the company fell by almost 15%.

Zee claimed that the authors and researchers of the article had previously also published several articles against it, but the impugned article had gone to the extent of alleging illegal fund diversion without any basis.

Granting relief to Zee, the judge said that in various similar cases, ex- parte ad interim injunction were passed, considering that the contents of the material in question were per se defamatory.

“Issue summons on the suit and notice on the injunction application by all modes, dasti as well, on filing of PF/Speed Post/AD etc., returnable for 26.03.2024,” the court said.

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