The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Tamil Nadu Director General of Police to apprise the Court with the mechanism followed by the police to tackle with derogatory posts online. Taking note of the increasing incidents of anonymous derogatory posts or derogatory statements/ videos that are being uploaded and circulated on the social media. The High Court also directed the DGP to file a comprehensive report on the same by 29th of January.
Leading to the direction by HC
The said interim order was passed by the High Court while hearing the bail application filed by one A Maruthachalam a resident of Coimbatore. He was arrested for uploading a derogatory video on social media denigrating a sitting judge of the High Court. The petitioner argued when the plea came for hearing that he had no role in the uploading of the video and that he was being implicated in the case falsely.
Key features
- Madras HC directed the Tamil Nadu DGP to apprise the Court of the mechanism that the police adopt in cases for derogatory posts.
- The DGP is directed to submit a repost to the High Court on the same by 29th of January.
Interim Order passed by HC
The Madras High Court passed the interim order noting that the contentions claimed by the petitioner were not satisfactory. Justice M Dhandapani said that in recent times there is an increase in the posting of derogatory posts and statements about persons holding Constitutional posts and their families by several people and such circulation is done without any substantive evidence of the statements that are made.
To curb such illegal activities the Court came up with the thought to issue direction to the cybercrime branch of police to ascertain whether there was any mechanism available to tackle and nab such offenders. The direction was issued keeping in mind the following thought. The Tamil Nadu Director General of Police is to submit a report to the High Court about the same by the 29th of January.
Edited by J. Madonna Jephi
Approved & Published – Sakshi Raje
Reference
1. Times of India, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/high-court-asks-dgp-for-report-on-ways-to-check-derogatory-posts/articleshow/73595608.cms (last visited 26th January 2020 4:17 PM)
