Indian authorities have launched an investigation into alleged visa violations and racial discrimination by streaming service Netflix. This was reported by Reuters with reference to a letter addressed in July 2024 by a representative of the Ministry of Home Affairs to the former director of business and legal affairs of Netflix India, Nandini Mehta, who left her post in 2020 .
„We are talking about issues related to violations of visa and tax laws in Netflix's operations in India. "We have received certain information in this regard regarding violations of the visa regime, creation of illegal structures, tax evasion and other illegal actions, including cases of racial discrimination," the agency quoted from a letter it has. In response to the letter, Mehta said he welcomed the launch of the investigation by the Indian authorities and hoped the results would be made public.
As the agency writes, Mehta also noted that she is suing Netflix in the US for alleged illegal dismissal from her position, as well as racial and gender discrimination. According to Reuters the service denies these allegations. A company representative, in turn, said that Netflix “is not aware of the investigation being conducted by the Indian authorities.“
On September 9, Reuters reported that the Indian news agency ANI filed a lawsuit against Netflix and the producers of the series “Flight 814: The Takeover of Kandahar“. According to him, ANI is demanding the removal of four episodes because they used content from a news agency without a license.
On September 2, NDTV reported that the Indian government has sought clarification from Netflix over the replacement of the names of terrorists in this series. The country's information ministry has summoned Netflix India's content chief Monica Shergill to provide clarification amid allegations that the new series has distorted the facts of the 1999 hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane to neutralize the crimes of terrorists.< /span>