Odisha NGO takes LinkedIn, Microsoft to court over ‘silencing social justice voices’
Bhubaneswar: The Odisha-based Sadaqat Welfare Foundation has accused LinkedIn and its parent company Microsoft of arbitrarily restricting the account of its founder, Manoj Kumar Das, alleging that the move silenced Dalit, Adivasi, minority, and migrant worker voices the NGO represents.
Das’s LinkedIn account, with over 36,000 followers, was restricted on March 11, 2025, despite assurances after a prior restoration that no action would be taken without further violations. He said LinkedIn kept changing the reasons for the suspension, from “suspicious activity” to “authentication issues” and eventually “policy violation”, without citing a specific rule.
The NGO has called the restriction a violation of constitutional and digital rights and has authorised legal action, including writ petitions, criminal proceedings, and a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding safeguards against arbitrary account suspensions.
Das alleged that LinkedIn failed to follow India’s IT Rules, 2021, despite over 2,000 grievance emails, including 500 to the platform’s appointed officer, Tanya Mampilly. He said the lack of redressal not only violated Indian law but also the Santa Clara Principles on transparency and accountability, which LinkedIn has signed.
Frustrated by months of silence, Das went on an indefinite hunger strike in June but had to withdraw due to health issues. He accused the company of causing reputational, psychological, and economic harm, leaving his NGO defunct and the communities he worked with unsupported.
Das has also linked the action to his online posts on Palestine, crimes against minorities, and human rights violations in India. “When Big Tech silences social justice voices without due process, it is not just corporate action, it is an attack on fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution,” he said.
The NGO plans to pursue writ petitions before the Odisha High Court, possible criminal charges, and a compensation claim while collaborating with digital rights groups.
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NIA registers case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal
New Delhi (PTI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday registered a case to probe recovery of 79 crude bombs in poll-bound West Bengal, officials said.
The move came following a directive by the Union Home Ministry in this regard, they said.
In pursuance to the home ministry's order, the anti-terror agency on Sunday registered a case, which was originally filed at Uttar Kashi police station, Bhangar division, Kolkata on Saturday, and took up the investigation, an NIA spokesperson said in a late night statement.
"The case pertains to recovery of 79 crude bombs and other incriminating materials by Kolkata police, which were being stored at a spot, thereby endangering human life and property," the spokesperson said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission had directed the West Bengal Police to launch a special drive to arrest those involved in illegal manufacturing of crude bombs in the poll-bound state, an official said.
It asserted that all cases related to the making of any such explosive would be probed by the National Investigation Agency, the official said.
The directive came after the police recovered a large number of crude bombs from the house of a person, allegedly a TMC worker, at Bhangar in South 24 Parganas district, days ahead of the second and final phase of the assembly polls in the state.
The explosives were recovered during a search at the residence of Rafikul Islam following specific inputs, the official said.
The poll panel also issued a warning to senior police officers across the state over any lapse in maintaining law and order before the April 29 polling.
The first phase of the assembly elections in West Bengal was held on April 23, while the second phase will take place on April 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
A record 93.19 per cent turnout has been recorded in the first round of polling. Bhangar will vote in the second phase.
