Website case: Delhi court summons home official

A Union home ministry official was asked by a Delhi court on Friday to appear before it to verify the forms for serving summons to US-based networking websites Facebook and Google, among others.

A Union home ministry official was asked by a Delhi court on Friday to appear before it to verify the forms for serving summons to US-based networking websites Facebook and Google, among others.

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The websites have been accused of promoting class enmity and undermining national integrity.

Metropolitan magistrate Jay Thareja asked home ministry undersecretary Amar Chand to appear before him on November 19 after the forms, required to be filled under a treaty between India and the US, were submitted to the court by complainant Vinay Rai's advocate.

Rai's counsel Shashi Tripathi submitted the forms to the court in accordance with its earlier order. "The assistance of Amar Chand is required to verify the acceptability of the said forms. Let Chand be summoned on Nov 19," the court said.

The court was informed by the complainant's counsel that the process of serving summons was being done in accordance with the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, signed between the two countries.

Earlier, the court had rejected Chand's suggestion to implement extradition proceedings against website authorities.