What happened
ZEE5 removed Satluj from India two days after its release. The film, originally titled Punjab ’95, was directed by Honey Trehan and starred Diljit Dosanjh. The same film continued to stream on ZEE5 Global.
The film depicts Jaswant Singh Khalra, a human rights activist who documented alleged extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and illegal cremations during Punjab’s militancy years. Khalra was abducted in 1995 and never seen again; the Central Bureau of Investigation later concluded that he was taken by police officers and killed in custody.
Regulatory background
Indian theatrical films require certification under the Central Board of Film Certification, but over-the-top platforms are not subject to prior certification in the same way. The explainer notes that online content can still be blocked under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 on limited grounds such as sovereignty, security, public order, or cognisable offences.
Blocking under Section 69A works through the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules and related Information Technology Rules. The safeguards mentioned include a reasoned written order, a hearing for the publisher, and committee review.
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