PIL Filed in Delhi High Court to Ban Public Viewing of Netflix Series “IC814: The Kandahar Hijack” Over Alleged Factual Distortions
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Delhi High Court on Monday, seeking a ban on the Netflix series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, alleging that it distorts facts about the real identities of the hijackers. The petition claims the miniseries inaccurately portrays the actual hijackers as having Hindu names, such as ‘Bhola’ and ‘Shankar,’ which are associated with Lord Shiva, thus offending the sentiments of the Hindu community.
The PIL was filed by Surjit Singh Yadav, a farmer and the president of the Hindu Sena. He has urged the court to direct the Central and Maharashtra governments to revoke the series’ Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) certificate and prohibit its public screening.
The petition argues that the misrepresentation of key facts concerning the hijackers’ identities not only distorts historical events but also promotes harmful stereotypes and misinformation. It stresses the need for judicial intervention to prevent public confusion and potential harm caused by such inaccuracies.
In response to the controversy, the central government has summoned the head of content at Netflix India. This decision comes amid the ongoing debate over the depiction of the hijackers in the series, which chronicles the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines flight by the Pakistan-based terrorist group Harkat-ul-Mujahideen. Government officials contend that no one should be allowed to manipulate national sentiments.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has summoned Netflix India’s content head to provide an explanation on Tuesday regarding the controversial elements of the series. Directed by Anubhav Sinha, *IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack* premiered on Netflix India on August 29.