NBDSA Slaps Rs.2 Lakh Fine on Zee News Over False Reports on Muslim Truck Driver

India’s News Broadcasting & Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) has imposed a total penalty of Rs.2 lakh on Zee News and its associated channels under Zee Media Corporation Limited for airing two misleading and inaccurate news segments that violated journalistic ethics on accuracy, neutrality, and sensitivity.

In two separate orders dated February 17, 2026, NBDSA Chairperson Justice (Retired) A.K. Sikri directed the broadcaster to pay Rs.1 lakh for each violation and immediately remove the contentious content from its website, YouTube channel, and other digital platforms.

The first case stemmed from a March 2025 Zee News broadcast titled along the lines of “Truck par Namaz…Jammu mein naya bawal shuru!” (Prayer on truck… new trouble starts in Jammu!). The channel aired a viral social media video claiming a Muslim truck driver had stopped on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway to perform Namaz, causing a major traffic jam. Zee News admitted during hearings that it failed to verify the footage’s authenticity before broadcast.

In reality, the congestion resulted from landslides and ongoing road repairs, not the driver’s prayers. The NBDSA ruled that the report wrongly communalised a routine traffic issue, breaching principles of accuracy and impartiality under the Code of Ethics and Broadcasting Standards.

The second violation involved a November 2024 programme on Zee Telugu, which inaccurately portrayed individuals arrested by Cyberabad Police for alleged public nuisance as “fake transgenders”—suggesting men disguising themselves as transgender persons—without proper verification of their gender identity. The broadcast was criticised as transphobic, insensitive, and damaging to the dignity and privacy of the LGBTQ+ community, with complaints highlighting misuse of unrelated images and lack of factual accuracy.

Beyond the fines, the NBDSA issued new guidelines urging broadcasters to exercise caution and verify social media-sourced material before airing to curb misinformation.

This ruling adds to prior NBDSA actions against Zee News for similar issues, including communal or misleading coverage in cases like “Mehendi Jihad” narratives, though those often resulted in content removal without monetary penalties.

The orders underscore growing regulatory scrutiny on responsible reporting amid concerns over communal polarisation and harm to marginalised groups in Indian media.