E-Paper
Mumbai Police blocked 1,816 objectionable content related to Covid-19 on social media: State to HC
The Maharshtra government, in an affidavit submitted to the Bombay HC, said that 1,816 objectionable content was blocked between April 10 and June 8 to curb misinformation and swirling rumours pertaining to the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak in Mumbai.
The Bombay high court (HC) on Friday disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL), which had complained that Mumbai Police had violated the Constitutionally-guaranteed right to freedom of expression of the Mumbaikars by invoking Section 144 (unlawful assembly armed with a lethal weapon) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and prohibited the use of social media platforms to disseminate information during the lockdown restrictions, which were enforced since mid-March to contain the raging coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak in the city.
Maharashtra government submitted an affidavit and informed the HC that the prohibitory orders had ended on June 8 amid the easing of lockdown restrictions and its Mission Begin Again campaign to open up commercial activities in a bid to revive the economy that has been roiled by the pandemic.
It also cited that 1,816 objectionable content was blocked between April 10 and June 8 to curb misinformation and swirling rumours pertaining to the spread of the viral outbreak in Mumbai.
A two-member HC division bench, comprising Justices AA Sayed and NR Borkar, while hearing the PIL filed by four persons, including a journalist, musician, occupational therapist and information technology (IT) professional, through advocates Aditi Saxena and Afreen Khan, was informed that Mumbai Police had violated the rights of the citizens guaranteed under the Indian Constitution.
In a bid to curb misinformation and swirling rumours pertaining to the spread of the Covid-19 outbreak in the city, Mumbai Police had invoked Section 144 of the IPC on April 10 and restricted dissemination of information through various messaging and social media platforms.
Later, another order was issued on May 23 that extended the prohibition till June 8.
On June 1, the petitioners moved HC and pleaded for setting aside the Mumbai Police’s order.
On June 5, the court directed the state authorities to file an affidavit in response to the plea.
On Friday, Maharashtra advocate-general (A-G) Ashutosh Kumbhakoni and government pleader Poornima Kantharia submitted the state government’s affidavit and said that the Mumbai Police had kept under surveillance various social media platforms April 10 to curb the spread of misinformation and swirling rumours pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kumbhakoni submitted that information spread through these platforms was creating apprehension and panic among the public and as a result, it was necessary to impose the prohibitory order during the lockdown restrictions.
Kumbhakoni read out a select portion of the affidavit filed by Pranay Ashok, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (operations), which said, “It has been observed that there is widespread dissemination of fake news, incorrect information, misinformation and other such objectionable content in the form of messages, videos (both edited and self-created), images or memes (both edited and self-created), audio clips and other such forms of communication or internet messaging and various social media platforms.”
“Such type of content was found to have caused panic, confusion among the general public, inciting mistrust towards government functionaries and their actions taken to control the Covid-19 pandemic and also to have created animosity towards various communities,” it added.
Kumbhakoni prayed before the court that in light of the affidavit and the fact that prohibitory orders ended on 8, the plea is infructuous and should be dismissed.
The court saw merit in the Maharashtra A-G’s argument and disposed of the plea.
