Twitter did not appear before Review Committee over takedown orders: Centre to Karnataka HC
Bengaluru, Mar 6: The Central government on Monday submitted its arguments against the petition challenging the blocking orders filed by Twitter in the Karnataka High Court.
Additional Solicitor General R Sankaranarayanan placed the arguments before the single judge bench of Justice Krishna S Dixit.
On behalf of Twitter, senior advocates Arvind Datar and Ashok Haranahalli had presented the arguments in December 2022.
The arguments for the Central government was delayed due to time sought by the Centre's counsels.
The ASG informed the court on Monday that Twitter had not appeared before the Review Committee to challenge the blocking orders but instead approached the High Court.
The Central government submitted details of the responsibilities of intermediaries like Twitter and the difference between the laws regarding intermediaries in India and the United Kingdom.
The court was also given details of the account holders whose Twitter handles were blocked for objectionable content.
The format of the notices issued to Twitter was also submitted to the court. The ASG sought time to present more analysis and details following which the court adjourned the hearing to March 26.
The petition was filed by Twitter in June 2022 against the take-down orders issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
The social media company has claimed that the government was required to issue notice to the owners of the Twitter handles against whom blocking orders are issued.
Twitter had said that it was barred from informing the account holders about the takedown orders of the government.
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Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case: HC grants bail to Rona Wilson, Sudhir Dhawale
Mumbai, Jan 8: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to researcher Rona Wilson and activist Sudhir Dhawale, both arrested in 2018 in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.
A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Kamal Khata took note of their long incarceration, and the fact that the trial is not likely to be completed any time soon.
The accused were languishing in jail since 2018 and even the charges are yet to be framed by the special court, defence lawyers Mihir Desai and Sudeep Pasbola had argued.
The high court on Wednesday said it was not dealing with the merits of the case at this stage.
Wilson and Dhawale were directed to submit a surety of Rs one lakh each, and appear before the special NIA court for the trial hearing.
The bench noted that there are over 300 witnesses in the case, and hence it is not possible for the trial to be concluded in the near future.
The case pertains to provocative speeches allegedly delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, triggering violence at Koregaon-Bhima in Pune district the next day.
The Pune police had claimed the conclave was backed by the Maoists.
The National Investigation Agency later took over the probe. Of the 16 persons arrested in the case, many are now out on bail.
Rona Wilson was arrested in June 2018 from his home in Delhi. He was described by the probe agencies as one of the top brass of urban Maoists.
Sudhir Dhawale was one of the first to be arrested, accused of being an active member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
