Punjab & Haryana High Court Dismisses Plea Against Aaj Tak, Anjana Om Kashyap Over Video Claiming Lord Valmiki Was A Dacoit

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to Aaj Tak news channel and its journalist Anjana Om Kashyap to remove an allegedly derogatory video relating to Lord Maharishi Valmiki and to issue a public apology.

The plea took exception to a broadcast in which it was allegedly stated that “Bhagwan Maharishi Valmiki Ji was earlier a dacoit named Ratnakar who looted travellers”, contending that the statement hurt religious sentiments and defamed a revered figure.

During the hearing it was argued that the video should be removed because there is no historical fact supporting the claim that Lord Valmiki was a dacoit.

The division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry at this juncture question the Petitioner,

"you are talking about history or mythology?...You can't get any proof for mythology, How do you say what they said is correct or not when you yourself said it is not part of history."

Finding no substance in the PIL, it was "dismissed as withdrawn."

In the PIL, it was contended that even in earlier judgments it has been held that there is no historical, scriptural, or literary basis to the claim that Maharishi Valmiki Ji was a dacoit, and any such portrayal is contrary to judicially recognized truth.

Thus, the impugned broadcast prima facie amounts to contempt of court, in addition to violations of Section 295A and 153A IPC, the Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994, the IT Rules 2021, the NBDSA Code of Ethics, and provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, stated the plea.

Despite written representations, including one 11.10.2025 submitted to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and NBDSA, no action has been taken, it added.

The petition sought directions to "remove all offending videos from TV, YouTube, and social media, (il) issue a public apology, (ill) initiate disciplinary/legal action, (iv) issue fresh guidelines to prevent unverified or religiously sensitive broadcasts, and ( compel intermediaries YouTube and Facebook/Instagram to immediately disable all such content."

Title: Honey Balu v. UOI