Delhi HC refuses to order immediate restoration of Cockroach Janta Party’s; ‘Slightly offending…’

The Delhi High Court on Thursday refused to immediately restore the ‘X’ account of the satirical outfit Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), dealing a setback to founder Abhijeet Dipke. The court observed that some of the content posted by the account appeared “slightly offensive” and said the matter required a “holistic consideration” before any interim relief could be granted. Dipke’s lawyer, Akhil Sibal, argued that courts in earlier social media blocking cases had adopted a balanced approach by restoring accounts while directing removal of allegedly offensive content. He urged the bench to allow temporary restoration of the CJP account pending final adjudication. However, the High Court said any order would only be passed after hearing both the government and X.