Plea In Delhi High Court Seeks Stay On Netflix Show 'Ghooskhor Pandat', Alleges Collective Defamation Of Brahmin Community

A plea has been filed before the Delhi High Court challenging the proposed release of a Netflix show “Ghooskhor Pandat”.

Filed by one Mahender Chaturvedi, who claims to be an Acharya by vocation, the plea alleges that the title and promotional material of the show are defamatory, communally offensive and violative of fundamental rights.

The writ petition has been filed against the Union of India through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Netflix India. It seeks an urgent interim stay on the release and streaming of the show on the OTT platform.

According to the petition, Netflix India has announced and promoted the show “Ghooskhor Pandat”, associating the term “Pandat” with corruption and bribery.

The plea contends that the term “Pandat” is historically, culturally and religiously linked with the Brahmin community and Acharyas, symbolising scholarship, moral authority and spiritual guidance.

“The petitioner, being a public- spirited citizen and acharya, took serious objection to the communally  offensive and defamatory nature of the impugned content, apprehending large-scale harm to dignity and reputation of the Brahmin community,” the plea states.

“The Petitioner noted the absence of any effective regulatory intervention by Respondent No. I despite the impending release of the impugned show. The Petitioner formed a bona fide belief that the release of the said show would amount to coll ective defamation, hate speech, and would disturb communal harmony and public order,” it adds.

As per the petition, the title and proposed content of the show amount to collective defamation, stereotyping, and vilification of an entire religious and social community, and would cause irreversible harm to the dignity and reputation of Acharyas and the Brahmin community at large.

The plea also alleges failure on the part of the Union Government to establish an effective regulatory mechanism to prevent misuse of creative freedom on OTT platforms, contending that such regulatory vacuum enables sensationalism and community-based vilification for commercial gain.

Apart from seeking stay on the show's release, the plea seeks a direction on the Union Government to take appropriate action against Netflix under applicable laws governing digital and OTT platforms.

The petition has been field through Advocate Vineet Jindal.

Title: Mahender Chaturvedi v. Union ofIndia & Ors