The Delhi High Court has ordered journalist Rajdeep Sardesai to remove a video he posted on 'X' (formerly Twitter), in which he accused BJP leader Shazia Ilmi of verbally abusing a video journalist from India Today during a televised debate. The controversy stems from an incident last month, where Ilmi participated in a debate on the Agniveer scheme controversy but abruptly left, alleging that her microphone was intentionally cut off to censor her.

Sardesai posted the video along with a tweet claiming that Ilmi had thrown her microphone and allegedly abused the video journalist, eventually forcing him out of her house. He emphasised that the video journalist was simply doing his job, criticising Ilmi's actions as unacceptable.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora ordered Sardesai to remove the video from 'X' until the final resolution of the case. The Court also instructed other accounts that had shared the video to take it down, warning that if they failed to comply, social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram would be required to block the video.

Ilmi's counsel argued that she was recorded without her consent by the cameraman, asserting that her consent ended once she left the show, but the cameraman continued to follow her. She contended that this constituted an invasion of her privacy. Furthermore, Ilmi claimed that the video shared by Sardesai was edited in a way that maligned her character. She argued that Sardesai’s insinuation that she threw the microphone and mistreated the cameraman damaged her reputation by portraying her as an ill-behaved person.

Ilmi maintained that she did not use any abusive language and claimed that the expletives used by the cameraman were toned down in the video shared by Sardesai. The Court further questioned the counsel representing Defendants No. 1 and 2 (Sardesai and India Today) regarding Sardesai's authority to use India Today's footage. The Court asked the counsel to clarify whether India Today had authorised Sardesai to share the video.

The Court observed that the video posted by Sardesai was uploaded after Ilmi had left the show, noting that the recorded events involved only Ilmi and the cameraman. "You had no right to record or use the video," the Court stated to Sardesai.

Additionally, the Court added the cameraman as Defendant No. 12 in the case and instructed both parties to submit the transcripts of the video. The matter has been scheduled for further hearing on August 16.

Image source: Hindustan