How can court be so touchy? Supreme Court on Delhi HC order to takedown ANI v Wikipedia page

The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Delhi High Court's order to Wikipedia to take down its page on 'Asian News International vs. Wikimedia Foundation'..The bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Ujjal Bhuyan, while hearing a plea moved by the Wikimedia Foundation (Wikipedia) against the Delhi High Court order, said,"Everyday in media we find severe criticism of the Court. Unless it is contempt, how can the Court be so touchy? In a lighter vein, this criticism is nothing. Why is the Court being so touchy? Such criticism will be read and forgotten in a few days.".The bench further said that the High Court could have ordered takedown of the order only if there had been contempt of court."We can understand if action for contempt is taken. How can there be direction to take down the page? How such order can be passed? I assume that there is some criticism by the Court. We can order to take it down if they find there is contempt. Otherwise, how can you take it down?"The matter was adjourned today after Asian News International (ANI) sought time to file a counter affidavit in the case..The page in question, which has already been taken down, contained details about the defamation case filed by ANI against Wikipedia in Delhi High Court. It contained details about the hearing in the High Court and the remarks made by the High Court during the hearing of ANI's defamation suit.The High Court had taken objection to the same and had even said in its order that discussion about the observations made by the Court would amount to contempt of court.In view of the same, it had in October 2024 ordered the online encyclopaedia to take down the page..The issue arose after ANI sued Wikipedia for defamation alleging that the platform allowed defamatory edits by certain users which referred to the news agency as a "propaganda tool" for the present Central government.The High Court issued summons to Wikipedia on July 9, 2024 and ordered it to disclose information about three people who made the edits on ANI's Wikipedia page.ANI later filed a contempt of court application before a single-judge of the High Court alleging that the order was not complied with.Wikipedia's counsel told the Court that it has to make certain submissions regarding the order and that it took them time to appear because Wikipedia is not based in India.However, Justice Navin Chawla on September 5 took strong objection to Wikipedia's conduct and ordered an authorised representative of Wikipedia to be personally present in Court on October 25.Wikipedia then moved the division bench in appeal. However, when the matter came up before the division bench, it noted that a page had been created on the case itself. The High Court then took strong objection to Wikipedia allowing the page titled 'Asian News International vs. Wikimedia Foundation' to be published in relation to case. The Court also objected to Wikipedia's refusal to divulge the details of persons who had made edits to the page about ANI.Eventually, the bench of Chief Justice Manmohan (who has since been elevated to the apex court) and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela ordered Wikipedia to take down the page on ANI's case. This led to the present appeal before the top court..Pertinently, the High Court on April 2 passed an interim order directing Wikipedia to take down the alleged defamatory statements made on another Wikipedia page about ANI. .[Read Order]