Delhi High Court Directs Centre to Decide on Removal of Dhruv Rathee Video Within 15 Days

The Delhi High Court directed the Centre's Grievance Appellate Committee to decide within 15 days on a plea to remove a controversial video by YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.

Lawyer Amita Sachdeva filed the petition seeking an expeditious decision after her appeal remained unresolved for over two months.

"The appellate authority shall decide the petitioner's appeal expeditiously within fifteen days under intimation to the court. In case of further grievance, you can file a fresh petition," Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma said. Justice Sharma warned that any disregard of the court's order shall be viewed "sternly", PTI reported.

Controversial Video Content

Rathee published the video titled "Can Hindus Eat Beef? | Kerala Story 2 Exposed" on March 21, 2026. The video discusses dietary habits as described in ancient Hindu scriptures.

Sachdeva's complaint objects to claims that revered Hindu deities, including Lord Ram, Sita and Lord Krishna, consumed meat and alcohol.

The petition alleges the video contains "false, misleading, and provocative statements" that insult Hindu religious sentiments. It claims the content causes continuous injury to crores of Hindus.

Procedural Delay, Arguments

Sachdeva initially filed a complaint with the Delhi Police cyber cell and YouTube's Resident Grievance Officer under the Information Technology rules. YouTube found no violations of its Community Guidelines.

She filed an appeal before the Grievance Appellate Committee on March 27, 2026. The appeal remained undecided past the statutory 30-day mandate.

Google's counsel said in court that the company had responded to the appeal filed by the petitioner. Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said that intermediaries have a legal obligation to exercise due diligence and take down content hurting majority community sentiments.