ANI sues Wikipedia for defamation, seeks 2 crore compensation
Last Updated on July 10, 2024 by News Desk
ANI Media Private Limited has filed a lawsuit against Wikipedia in the Delhi High Court over a defamatory description of the news agency. The suit seeks to restrain Wikipedia from publishing defamatory content on the its page and seeks removal of the content.
ANI also seeks Rs. 2 crores in damages from Wikipedia. Wikipedia accuses ANI of serving as a propaganda tool for the central government, distributing fake news websites, and misreporting events.
Advocate Sidhanth Kumar for ANI argued that the content mentioned in the description is defamatory and that Wikipedia, as an intermediary, cannot act as a private actor.
ANI also seeks damages from Wikipedia and its officials for publishing false and defamatory content with malicious intent to tarnish the news agency’s reputation and discredit its goodwill.
The suit alleges that ANI has practiced an aggressive model of having over 500 employees, focusing on maximum revenue output, and not having a human resource management system. ANI also falsely blamed Muslims for the sexual assault and rape of two Kuki women during the 2023 Manipur violence.
ANI alleges that Wikipedia has actively participated in removing edits to reverse the content, resulting in a loss of its safe-harbour protection under section 79(1) of the Act.
