Delhi HC restrains telecast of documentary based on death of student in Gurugram school in 2017

New Delhi, August 13

The Delhi High Court has restrained Netflix and Channel News Asia (CNA) from streaming, broadcasting and telecasting a documentary ‘A big Little Murder’, based on the alleged killing of a 7-year-old student in a Gurugram school in 2017, unless all references to the school are deleted. 

Justice Jayant Nath, who was hearing a plea by the school’s trust, said that the documentary, in its original form, violated a court order on the protection of privacy and the reputation of the parties involved in the case.

“The defendants (Netflix, CNA, the filmmaker and unknown parties) are restrained from streaming, broadcasting, telecasting etc. the documentary titled “A Big Little Murder” or any of its abridged versions.

“I may clarify that the defendants may stream the said documentary after deleting all references to the plaintiff school in question and deleting the portion, where the building of the school is depicted”, ordered the judge in his order passed on August 10.

The court passed the ex-parte order after opining that the school’s trust made out a prima facie case in its favour.

The trust, represented by senior counsel Rajiv Virmani and Karanjawala & Co’s Senior Partner Sandeep Kapur informed the court that the documentary was available for viewers on the website of CNA and on the platform of Netflix since earlier this month.

It was submitted that while the case is presently pending before a Sessions Court in Gurugram, which has passed an order directing parties to the proceedings as well as the public at large to not use the real names of the parties in the case, the name of the school and its visuals have been used elaborately and frequently in the documentary without any permission.

A Class 2 student was found with his throat slit in the washroom of a school in Gurugram in September 2017.

Investigation in the case was transferred from Haryana Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The matter would be heard next on October 10. PTI