Shivangi Prakash –
Published on: August 11, 2021 at 12:55 IST
On Wednesday, August 11, 2021, Twitter notified the Delhi High Court that an objectionable tweet shared by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi sharing a photo of himself with the parents of a 9-year-old accused rape and murder victim in the Capital had been removed.
Mr Gandhi’s account has also been suspended, according to Twitter, because his August 5 tweet violated company policy.
During the brief hearing, the Bench became irritated with the lawyer representing petitioner Makarand Suresh Mhadlekar, who challenged Twitter’s submission before the Court.
“The counsel for the respondent (Twitter) says they have removed (the tweet) even without an order from the Court. There is no reason to disbelieve it. If this is your attitude, we are not issuing notice. We will see on the next date,” the Bench remarked.
Senior Advocate Sajan Poovayya, representing Twitter, said, “We have locked that account and the tweet is no longer available. It violates our policy as well. This is the status as on date”.
Mr Mhadlekar, a self-described social activist, alleged in his petition that on August 5, Mr Gandhi uploaded a photo of himself with the victim’s family members on Twitter.
This, according to the plea, was in violation of Section 23 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act, Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, and Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, Section 228A of Indian Penal Code (IPC).
A violation of Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act is punishable by up to six months in prison or a fine of two lakh rupees, or both.
A violation of Section 23(2) of the POCSO Act is punishable with imprisonment for a period of a minimum of six months and a maximum of one year.
Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh scheduled a hearing on Mr Gandhi’s demand for legal action on September 27.
Also Read: Delhi HC: Centre informs that Twitter has complied with IT Rules, 2021