Govt advises states to curb Act's misuse

Admitting that the controversial Section 66A of the Information Technology Act was being misused, telecom minister Kapil Sibal said, the government would issue an advisory to states to check its abuse. HT reports.

Admitting that the controversial Section 66A of the Information Technology Act was being misused, telecom minister Kapil Sibal said, the government would issue an advisory to states to check its abuse.

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He said there was a need to educate the police and other agencies on how to use Section 66A.

Under the section, a person can be sent to jail for three years for sending out messages that are grossly offensive, menacing, insulting, dangerous or causing inconvenience.

"In our assessment, there has been misuse (of Section 66A) in some states...We are considering issuing an advisory to all states to end its misuse," Sibal said replying to questions in Rajya Sabha.

The matter came up in the Rajya Sabha during the debate over private members bill when CPM MP P Rajeev suggested amendments to the Act. Though the members discussed the matter for more than two hours, it remained inconclusive. The discussion will continue next week.

Sibal was responding to questions on whether Section 66A was prone to misuse by law enforcement agencies and were steps being taken to ensure that this does not happen.

"We need to see as to how this law can be improved so that there is a balance to protect the victims on both sides - those who are victims of the Internet and those who are being persecuted in this fashion," he said.

There was uproar across India after two Mumbai girls were arrested for a post put up on Facebook criticising the shutdown in the city after Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's death last month.