Ashutosh Kaushik on right to be forgotten petition in HC: Felt I was still being punished

Actor-reality TV star Ashutosh Kaushik filed a petition in High Court asking videos, links and references to his 2009 drunken driving case be removed from online platforms.

Actor and reality TV star Ashutosh Kaushik, who won Roadies 5.0 in 2007 and Bigg Boss season 2 in 2008 filed a plea in the Delhi High Court on Thursday invoking the right to be forgotten. He has asked for removal of videos, photos and articles related to his drunk driving case in 2009 from various online platforms.

Ashutosh Kaushik says, “The court felt the videos did violate my right to privacy at some level.”

Talking about the plea, Kaushik explains, “I had been thinking about filing the petition for a while and had been working on it since last year. My petition says that my drunk driving case, which was years ago, and was highlighted and splashed all over the internet as I am a public celebrity, be removed. I had paid the fine and done my duty to society. The case is over but even after 10 years, the video is available out there. When anyone searches my name on the internet, they see the video and form an opinion of me. Dus saal mein duniya badal jaati hai. I feel I have got the punishment for my crime, so why am I being punished for that, even now? Family members see it, tomorrow my kids will see it, so I felt I was still being punished for it. That’s why I went to court. Beizzati si feel hoti hai. Rishtey bhi aaye toh videos dekh kar kaha ke, ‘Ashutosh pee kar drame karta hai’. I have felt insulted many times and don’t want to this to continue.”

Kaushik admits that he had approached news channels who have the said articles and vidoes and requested them to remove them from their websites but they didn’t agree. That left him with no choice but to take this a step ahead and go to court. “Maine kaha, ‘bhai kama liya in videos se, ab hata do’, par woh nahi maane. No one listened to me,” he says.

After filing the petition on July 22, he got a hearing, where the court gave Google and other channels, a month’s time to respond. “The court felt the videos did violate my right to privacy at some level. All I want is for them to remove the videos and links. There are many people like me who are paying the price of some incident that happened years ago because the links are available online. We have also submitted various such cases abroad that got justice and got the links removed from online.” The next court date for his petition is on 1 December.

Here’s how some reality show contestants reacted to the news-

Akash Dadlani was part of Bigg Boss 11

Akash Dadlani

To each his own. If someone feels that photos and videos about their past should be removed from a search engine, that’s completely fine. He should have all the right to take it to Google or the HC. Yes, there have been some controversies about me too but I wouldn’t want anything to be removed from Google because I, honestly, do not care. Those things cannot even hamper my current image. I have said a lot of things but they are all true.

Arshi Khan was part of Bigg Boss 11

Arshi Khan

The right to be forgotten is an extremely important right. If Google contains pictures and information that is likely to impact your present image, then they should be removed at all costs. It’s crucial as it impacts your career and life ahead. If someone attempts to improve and move on from their past, kudos to them! I, too, have controversies to my name but they don’t affect me. People close to me and my fans know exactly how I am as a person. Hence, I’ve nothing to worry about.

Ashmit Patel was part of Bigg Boss 4 (Photo By Manoj Verma/ Hindustan Times)

Ashmit Patel

I am not sure about the legal aspect, but if he is legally entitled to it, there is nothing wrong in it. And why not? People can’t just use your footage and things forever. My past doesn’t bother me personally, but if he has an issue with and he is legally entitled to it, I think he has the right to contest it.

Renee Dhyani was part of Bigg Boss 8

Renee Dhyani

Young log reality shows karte hain where we don’t know anything, and want to create something for ourselves. Iss time, internet ki wajah se all of it comes out. It is pathetic when things from shows in the past go viral, like recently my friend Madhurima Tuli urged the channel to not show her video. It doesn’t bother me about my past videos, including the abusive one, but sometimes it can hamper the present, and a career. It is a right thing.

Inputs by Titas Chowdhury and Sugandha Rawal