The Delhi High Court fined Justice on Trial ₹25,000 for repeatedly delaying its ₹10,000 crore defamation suit against British Broadcasting Corporation. The case relates to the documentary on PM Narendra Modi, with the court warning against further adjournments.
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday imposed a fine of ₹25,000 on a Gujarat-based non-profit organisation, Justice on Trial, for repeatedly seeking adjournments in its ₹10,000 crore defamation case against the British Broadcasting Corporation over a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The order was passed by Justice Mini Pushkarna after the counsel appearing for the NGO once again requested an adjournment. The lawyer informed the Court that the organisation was in the process of appointing a counsel to argue on the issue of whether the case is legally maintainable.
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However, the Court noted that sufficient opportunities had already been given. It highlighted that on December 2, 2025, the Court had clearly granted a last and final chance to the NGO to present arguments on maintainability. Despite this, no effective arguments were made and adjournments continued to be sought.
Taking note of this conduct, the Court imposed costs and made it clear that the matter would now be listed for further hearing in August, subject to the payment of ₹20,000 by the petitioner.
Earlier, on December 2, 2025, Justice Amit Bansal had also raised concerns regarding delays in the case. The Court observed that the suit was originally filed in 2023 and that questions regarding its maintainability had been pending for a long time. Despite this, the plaintiff kept seeking adjournments instead of addressing the core issue.
Expressing its displeasure, the Court had stated, “We notice that repeated adjournments are being taken for the last several dates. Last opportunity is given to address the maintainability,” clearly warning the petitioner that no further delays would be entertained.
Even after this warning, the NGO’s counsel submitted that adjournments were necessary because they were still in the process of engaging a senior counsel for the matter.
The case arises from a defamation suit filed by Justice on Trial against the BBC over its two-part documentary titled India: The Modi Question. The NGO has claimed that the documentary harmed the reputation of India, its judiciary, and the Prime Minister, and has therefore sought damages amounting to ₹10,000 crore.
At present, the High Court is considering the NGO’s application to file the case as an indigent person under Order XXXIII of the Code of Civil Procedure. This provision allows a person or entity to file a suit without paying court fees if they do not have sufficient financial means.
The Court had originally issued notice on this application on May 22, 2023. However, due to repeated adjournments and lack of progress on the maintainability issue, the matter has faced significant delays, prompting the Court to take a stricter approach.
This development highlights the judiciary’s increasing intolerance towards unnecessary delays and emphasizes the importance of timely arguments, especially in high-value and sensitive defamation cases involving public institutions and international media organisations.
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