The Delhi High Court has directed the removal of allegedly defamatory content from the Wikipedia page of news agency ANI Media Private Limited.

Justice Subramonium Prasad ordered Wikimedia Foundation, the host of Wikipedia, to take down statements published against ANI on its Wikipedia page titled "Asian News International."

The court’s order came in response to ANI's interim injunction plea, which sought both the removal of the defamatory content and a restriction on Wikipedia from publishing such statements on the platform.

The interim plea is part of ANI’s broader defamation suit against the Wikimedia Foundation, wherein the news agency has sought damages amounting to Rs. 2 crore.

While pronouncing the order, Justice Prasad granted the reliefs sought under Prayers 2 and 3 of ANI’s plea. Under Prayer 2, the court directed the Wikimedia Foundation to remove the allegedly defamatory content and to ensure that its platform’s users and administrators do not publish any defamatory material against ANI.

Prayer 3 sought the removal of the protection status imposed on ANI's Wikipedia page.

ANI’s Wikipedia page had contained statements alleging that the agency "has been criticized for serving as a propaganda tool for the incumbent central government, distributing materials from a vast network of fake news websites, and misreporting events." ANI, in its defamation suit against Wikimedia Foundation and its officials, has argued that such content was published with malicious intent to tarnish its reputation and discredit its goodwill.

In August last year, the Delhi High Court had directed Wikipedia to disclose to ANI the subscriber details of three individuals involved in editing the page. Wikimedia Foundation challenged this order before a division bench, which took issue with a dedicated Wikipedia page on the ongoing defamation proceedings. The Wikipedia page in question, titled "Asian News International vs. Wikimedia Foundation," contained statements alleging that the judge in the case had threatened to order the Indian government to shut down Wikipedia in the country.

Subsequently, the division bench ordered the removal of the contentious Wikipedia page, noting that it contained adverse remarks against the single-judge bench, which were prima facie contemptuous. The appeal was later disposed of after both parties reached a consent order. Following this, the division bench directed the single judge to proceed with the defamation suit.

In November, Justice Prasad issued summons to three individuals who had allegedly edited ANI’s Wikipedia page. More recently, the Supreme Court has issued a notice on Wikipedia's appeal challenging the division bench's order directing the removal of the Wikipedia page related to the defamation dispute.

The case, titled Wikimedia Foundation v. ANI & Ors., continues to be under judicial scrutiny.