Delhi HC restrains Netflix from streaming documentary titled "A Big Little Murder"

New Delhi [India], August 13 : The Delhi High Court has restrained OTT Platform Netflix and others from streaming the documentary titled "A Big Little Murder" said to be based on the tragic death of a 7-year-old boy who was found dead in the washroom of Gurugram based Ryan International School.
A Gurugram based school, through its trust, had approached the Delhi High Court, against the streaming of the documentary titled "A Big Little Murder" being streamed on the website of Netflix and others.
The bench of Justice Jayant Nath on Thursday directed the defendants Netflix and others to restrain from broadcasting or streaming the documentary and directed that the broadcasting can be done, only if all scenes wherein references to the Plaintiff's school, use of the name of Plaintiff's school and visuals of the Plaintiff's school building are removed.
"The defendants 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," Justice Jayant Nath said.
The Plaintiff Trust was represented by Rajeev Virmani, Senior Advocate and Sandeep Kapur and Karanjawala and Co. along with Advocate Meghna Mishra.
The plea stated that the said documentary was released on Netflix on August 6, 2021. The documentary pertains to the tragic death of a 7-year-old student of the School.
It was contended by Advocate Virmani and Sandeep Kapur, that the documentary used the name of the Plaintiff's School and the visuals of the plaintiff's school building which was done in complete violation of the order dated January 8, 2018, passed by the Additional Session Judge, Gurugram, Haryana wherein the court had directed, inter-alia, to protect and safeguard the privacy and reputation of the parties.
It was also stated in the said order that, the real name of the victim, accused and school be not used and imaginary names ought to be given to the victim, accused and the school. The name of the School as per the order dated January 8, 2018, is to be mentioned as 'Vidyalya'.
It was contended by the plaintiff that in another case pertaining to the release of a book on the same trial, the coordinate bench of the High Court was pleased to vide order dated January 22, 2021, stay the release of the book as it contained references and used the name of the plaintiff's school.
"A Big Little Murder" documentary is said to be based on a seven-year-old student of Ryan International School, in Gurugram, India, whose body was found with injuries on the neck outside a washroom at the school in 2017, and he later succumbed to his wounds.