Today, the Delhi High Court ordered that certain media houses and social media platforms, including Twitter and Google, remove links to news reports and videos alleging that a Muslim man coerced a woman to convert to Islam.
Justice Prathiba M Singh issued the ruling after determining that there was a serious threat, as evidenced by viewers on the news reports and videos available online.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), Press Council of India (PCI), News Broadcasting and Digital Standards Authority (NBDSA) and Google LLC, Twitter Inc. were all served with notices by the high court.
It also served notice on Sudarshan News chairman Suresh Chavhanke, Odisha Television Limited, Pittie Media LLP, Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited, which owns ‘The Organiser, Voice of the Nation’.
The high court ordered the parties to answer to the petition filed by the man, who is also facing a rape case lodged by the woman and set a hearing date of May 24 for further hearing.
Petitioner Azmat Ali Khan, who claims to be a classical music teacher, asked for the suppression of news articles and videos about the FIR filed against him on April 19 by the woman, a Delhi resident, accusing him of pressuring her to convert.
He claimed that the reports are fake news and threats that endanger his life, reputation, and safety.
Advocate Rajiv Bajaj arguing for the petitioner, said that such publication and circulation are being carried out by giving a communal angle to the entire story and it was done to incite hatred in the communities involved.
The court also issued notice to the Delhi Police and instructed it to file a status report on the inquiry.
It further requested that the Delhi Police counsel contact the complainant woman and notify her of the status of this petition.
During the hearing, Google’s lawyer, Mamta Jha said that because the FIR had already been filed, the originators of the videos need to be enquired.
Advocate T Singhdev, who represents PCI, stated that the petitioner’s email of May 9 consisting of the links to news reports will be looked into.
He further informed the court that the PCI only has jurisdiction over the print media.
NBDSA’s advocate Nisha Bhambhani argued that because none of the respondent news channels are members of NBDA, its jurisdiction was not established.
The court stated unequivocally that its order to block the links is for all the respondents including the channels and social media platforms.
The court said, “Considering that there is a severe threat to the independent investigation in the FIR and to the safety and security of the petitioner, as is evident from the comments and videos which have been placed before this court, it is directed that the links which have been set out in the petition shall be immediately blocked for public viewing till the next date of hearing”.
“It is a question of his security. If they (channels) don’t block it, you (social media platforms) block it. My directions are clear. It has to be blocked by everybody”, the judge added.
The petitioner indicated that the FIR was filed by the woman with whom he was in a relationship for the last eight years and the allegations are currently under investigation by the police authorities concerned.
(With input from PTI)
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