Satluj row: PIL in Punjab and Haryana High Court seeks restoration of film on Zee5

A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking the restoration of Satluj, a film based on the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, after it was removed from OTT platform Zee5 just two days after its release.

The petition, filed by Sharwan Singh under Article 226 of the Constitution, names the Union government, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), the Punjab government, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, and Zee5 as respondents. It alleges that the film was taken down without any publicly disclosed statutory, judicial or governmental order, violating the constitutional guarantee of free speech as well as the public's right to access information.

The petitioner has urged the High Court to direct Zee5 to immediately restore the film across India and to disclose any legal, statutory, or judicial order, if one exists, that led to its removal.

According to the plea, the film, originally titled Punjab '95 before being released as Satluj on July 3, 2026 was removed from the platform on July 5, with Zee5 reportedly citing only "current circumstances" without referring to any legal or governmental



directive.

The petition states that Satluj chronicles the life and work of Jaswant Singh Khalra, who exposed the alleged illegal cremations carried out during Punjab's militancy era. It argues that the events depicted in the film are already part of the public record, having been examined by the Supreme Court, other courts, the CBI, the National Human Rights Commission and other official bodies. As such, the plea contends that the film does not reveal any confidential or prohibited material but presents judicially documented events in a cinematic format.

The PIL further argues that removing a film without following due process would be contrary to the rule of law. It also contends that the takedown affects the rights of subscribers who paid to access content that was lawfully available on the platform.

The petitioner has sought directions for the immediate restoration of the film, disclosure of the reasons for its removal, and safeguards to ensure that any future takedown of certified content is carried out only in accordance with due process of law.

The matter is expected to be listed for hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.