On Thursday, in a cross-border reputational dispute raising questions about digital accountability and constitutional protection, the Karnataka High Court issued notice to Google and two Sri Lankan news outlets on a plea by Sri Lankan Supreme Court judge Justice AHM Dilip Nawaz seeking the removal of allegedly defamatory online articles. The Court’s intervention brings into focus whether individuals outside India can invoke constitutional protections, including the right to reputation and dignity under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, against online content accessible within Indian jurisdiction.
The petition was filed by a Sri Lankan judge seeking the removal of several online articles published by two overseas news platforms, which he claims falsely linked him to a criminal offence. According to the plea, the articles were circulated during his tenure in Sri Lanka’s appellate judiciary as part of a campaign intended to damage his professional standing after he expressed legal opinions aligned with the country’s Attorney General.
The Petitioner asserted that the criminal case referred to in those reports was later dismissed and that he was subsequently elevated to the Sri Lankan Supreme Court. Despite this, the articles allegedly continue to appear in online search results, prompting the judge to seek removal of the content and suppression of related search links. He also invoked the “right to be forgotten”, arguing that the persistent circulation of such reports undermines both his personal reputation and the institutional credibility of the judiciary.
Justice Sachin Shankar Magadum directed the issuance of notice to Google and the concerned news platforms, requiring them to respond to the allegations. The Court also directed that notice be formally served to the foreign news outlets through electronic communication and scheduled the matter for a preliminary hearing on March 16.
The Court directed the standing counsel, Sri Manu P. Kulkarni, to accept notice on behalf of the concerned respondents representing Google. It also instructed the petitioner’s counsel to serve notice to the two news outlets through email and listed the matter for a preliminary hearing on the specified date.
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