Gujarat NGO withdraws $1.058B suit vs BBC on Modi doc

A Gujarat-based non-profit organization has withdrawn its defamation lawsuit seeking Rs 10,000 crore (approximately $1.058 billion) in damages from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) over its documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The NGO, Justice on Trial, had alleged that the two-part documentary, titled "India The Modi Question," cast a slur on the country's reputation and contained false imputations against the Prime Minister and the Indian judiciary. The withdrawal was permitted by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela of the Delhi High Court on September 3, 2026. The court's order, made public on September 7, stated that the case was dismissed as withdrawn with liberty granted to the petitioner to file a fresh suit for the same cause of action. The NGO's counsel informed the court that they had instructions to withdraw the proceedings and requested permission to refile. The lawsuit, filed in 2023, centered on the BBC's documentary which examined the 2002 Gujarat riots during Modi's tenure as the state's chief minister.