High Court declines PIL against Twitter over anti-India tweets; says approach Centre first
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court Wednesday declined to entertain a PIL seeking action against social media platform Twitter for being allegedly involved in conspiracy to promote anti-India propaganda such as Khalistan movement, saying the plea was based on claims and no representation about it was made to the Centre.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan said "none of the issues in the petition have been flagged before the Union of India" and the plea was made on claims of a Member of Parliament and news reports in the public domain.
The bench also noted the contention of Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma that the petitioner should first approach the executive with her grievance before moving the court.
It allowed the petitioner, Sangeeta Sharma, to withdraw the plea to move an appropriate representation before the central government.
The petition, filed through advocates Desh Ratan Nigam and Awanish Sinha, had sought lodging a case against Twitter and its representatives in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the provisions of IPC dealing with sedition and waging war against the country and under the Information Technology Act.
The petition had also sought an enquiry by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the matter as the persons allegedly promoting the messages in relation to Khalistan are from outside the country.
It had also sought that the revenue generated by Twitter from India should be taxed here and a direction that it share its source code with the Indian government.
The plea has contended that some "promoted handles" on Twitter's platform were being allegedly used for promoting an agenda for a separate Khalistan.
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Udupi: Two men from Belthangady awarded life imprisonment for attempt to murder a woman in 2022
Udupi: Two men from Belthangady have been sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in Udupi for attempting to murder a woman in Manchikumeri in 2022.
The sentenced men, Mithun and Nagesh Poojary, are learned to have attempted to murder Sumathi, wife of Ramanath Rai, a resident of Manchikumeri, who had a Nandini Milk Parlour at Tiger Circle, Manipal.
On February 18, 2022, Sumathi was reportedly alone at home when, at around 7 pm, Mithun, learned to be her nephew, and his friend Poojary came to the house. As Sumathi opened the door, the duo barged in and tried to strangulate her with an intention of murdering her. Sumathi reportedly lost consciousness under the attack.
The men packed her body in a sack and were then putting the sack into a suitcase to carry the body out, when they noticed that Rai and neighbours had arrived. They are learned to have opened the door when Rai knocked the door and then tried to escape. They were, however, caught by the neighbours and handed over to the police.
Further, Sumathi was found by the group in an unconscious state inside the suitcase in the house. She was rushed to the Manipal Hospital and learned to have recovered after a week of medical treatment.
A case had been registered at the Manipal Police Station.
The Udupi Principal District and Sessions Court judge Kiran S Gangannavar, who heard the case, has declared both Mithun and Poojary guilty in the case. He has awarded them life imprisonment, fined them Rs 20,000 each and, under Column 325, sentenced them to rigorous imprisonment of 5 years and fined them Rs 5,000 each.
Judge Gangannavar has directed that, of the fine, Rs 45,000 be handed to the attack victim Sumathi as relief.
Jayarama Shetty represented the government as Public Prosecutor.
