High level government panel to investigate Satluj after removal of ZEE5: Sources
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has constituted a high-level committee to investigate the removal of Satluj from Zee5. The move brings a formal investigation under Section 69A into the film already embroiled in a lengthy censorship controversy.
A high level inter-departmental committee of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will examine the content of the film SatlujSources told India Today. The matter is being investigated by an inter-departmental committee or IDC under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
The move comes a day after the ministry directed streaming platform ZEE5 to remove the film. SatlujEarlier titled Punjab ’95, it stars Diljit Dosanjh and is directed by Honey Trehan. It was released on Zee5 on Friday and was removed from the platform by late Sunday night.
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Section 69A empowers the government to direct intermediaries to block access to or remove online content on grounds including national security. The ministry’s order was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, read with Part 3 of the Information Technology Rules, people familiar with the matter were quoted as saying. The panel is empowered to make recommendations to the Central Government on complaints related to content.
On Sunday, Zee5 said that the film would no longer be available to audiences in India, citing “current developments” surrounding its release. In its statement, the platform said that streaming of the film has been stopped and said that it will continue to support both the project and its makers, although it did not explain the reason behind the decision. Interestingly, Diljit Dosanjh had already hinted that the film may be removed soon after its release on ZEE5.
In a later post, the OTT platform said: “We are trying our best to bring Satluj Back. Please do your part – don’t support piracy. We are committed to exploring every possible way to bring Sutlej back to you.”
Satluj The film is based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, portrayed by Diljit Dosanjh. Khalra is known for drawing attention to the illegal cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies during Punjab’s insurgency years in the 1980s and 1990s. Through his work, he collected material that pointed to secret cremations of those missing during the rebellion, which were carried out by the police without informing their families.
Khalra’s investigation drew global attention to allegations of human rights abuses during one of the most volatile chapters of Punjab’s history. He was kidnapped in 1995 and later murdered. In the years that followed, several police personnel were convicted for their roles in her kidnapping and murder.
In the film, Dosanjh plays Jaswant, who investigates a death squad guarded by state police chief Bitta (Kanwaljeet Singh). The film faced censorship issues after its completion in 2022 and Trehan alleged that the censor board had demanded 127 cuts. The version that was briefly available on ZEE5 was uncut.
The formation of a high-level interdepartmental committee means the Center is now formally investigating of Sutlej After the content was removed from Zee5, the matter is being considered under section 69A.