Allahabad HC Restrains Al Jazeera from Releasing a Documentary Film on Indian Muslims Fearing “evil consequences”

The Allahabad High Court has restrained Al Jazeera from broadcasting a documentary film ‘India…Who lit the Fuse?’ in India, stating that “evil consequences” concerning social and communal harmony are likely to occur if the film is allowed to be released, according to the HC’s order provided by LiveLaw and reviewed by MediaNama. The bench comprising Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava has directed the Central government and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting to take “appropriate measures” in law to ensure that the film is not released unless its contents are examined by the authorities and required certification or authorisation is obtained from the competent authority. The Court has also asked the Union of India, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Central Board of Film Certification, as well as Al Jazeera, who are respondents in the case, to file their responses to the petition by July 6, 2023, the set date for the next hearing. What’s the case about? The order comes in response to a public interest litigation filed by one Sudhir Kumar, who has sought the restraint order on the film and “appropriate action” to ban Al Jazeera Media Network Private Ltd., a news channel based in Doha, Qatar. The petitioner has also demanded that the Centre, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the Central Board of Film Certification must “review and certify” the film before its broadcast and that an enquiry must be conducted to scrutinise the film credentials. Primarily, the petitioner has alleged that the film can…