Directed by Honey Trehan, Satluj portrays the life of human rights activist Jaswant Singh Khalra, who investigated the cremation of thousands of unidentified bodies in Punjab between 1984 and 1994. Khalra was abducted and murdered by the Punjab Police in 1995. The film was removed from the OTT platform ZEE5 for viewers in India on July 5, just two days after its release on July 3, after the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting cited security concerns.
Following the removal of the film, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting constituted an Inter-Departmental Committee under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to conduct a detailed examination of the film and recommend the future course of action.
The decision triggered a political controversy in Punjab. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee demanded that the ban be lifted, while the Shiromani Akali Dal announced plans to organise public screenings of the film across the state.
Government sources said the committee found that the blocking order issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act was justified. Section 69A authorises the government to block online content on grounds including India's sovereignty and integrity, defence, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, and public order.
The Inter-Departmental Committee comprises representatives from the Ministries of Information and Broadcasting, Home Affairs, Electronics and Information Technology, Women and Child Development, External Affairs, Defence, and Law and Justice, among other government departments.
According to the committee's observations, the film presents an unbalanced narrative by allegedly portraying militants in a favourable light while focusing extensively on the excesses committed by security forces in Punjab during the years of militancy.
Under Part III of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is empowered to invoke Section 69A of the Information Technology Act through a regulatory mechanism overseeing content on online streaming platforms that does not fall within the jurisdiction of the Central Board of Film Certification.
The committee's recommendation reinforces the Centre's position that the existing restrictions on the film should remain in force, keeping Satluj inaccessible on online streaming platforms in India while the government continues to treat the matter as one involving national security, sovereignty, and public order.
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