ANI files defamation suit against Mohak Mangal, Kunal Kamra and Mohammed Zubair
ANI seeks a permanent injunction against Mangal, demanding the video's removal, a halt to trademark usage, and a ban on future defamatory content. The news agency also seeks similar restraining orders against Kamra, Zubair, and others to prevent them from making or sharing false and defamatory statements about ANI.
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Asian News International (ANI) has filed a defamation suit in the Delhi High Court against YouTuber Mohak Mangal, alleging false and defamatory accusations made in a recent video. The suit also names comedian Kunal Kamra and AltNews co-founder Mohammed Zubair as defendants for sharing the video on their X (formerly Twitter) handles. The case is expected to be heard tomorrow, May 29, as per reports.
ANI's suit, filed through Advocate Akshit Mago, stems from a video published by Mangal on May 25. In the video, Mangal accuses ANI of extortion and blackmail, claiming the news agency demanded over ₹40 lakh to resolve copyright strikes initiated against his YouTube channel for using short clips.
ANI contends that Mangal's video is a deliberate attempt to discredit and insult the news agency and its services, asserting that Mangal openly admitted to using ANI's copyrighted content for revenue. Despite this, he allegedly published a video filled with defamatory and damaging statements, spreading falsehoods to harm ANI's reputation and misuse its registered trademarks.
Regarding Kamra, Zubair, and others who shared the video, ANI's plea states, "In addition to widely sharing the Impugned Video, these Defendants have independently published further false, baseless, and malicious statements targeting the Plaintiff and its founders. These statements are devoid of any factual or legal foundation and are clearly intended to malign the Plaintiff's reputation and lower its estimation in the eyes of the public."
ANI seeks a permanent injunction against Mangal, demanding the video's removal, a halt to trademark usage, and a ban on future defamatory content. The news agency also seeks similar restraining orders against Kamra, Zubair, and others to prevent them from making or sharing false and defamatory statements about ANI.
