Plea in Supreme Court on social media posts by police

Petitioner seeks direction to Centre to frame rules

October 23, 2021 03:38 am | Updated 03:38 am IST - NEW DELHI

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to examine a petition seeking a direction to the Centre to frame rules to govern police officers posting news about any criminal investigation on their personal or professional social media handles.

A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar issued notice to the Government on the petition.

The petitioner, Delhi-based Mohammed Khalil, represented by senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, alleged that the Director General of Police, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, had posted “various scathing and distasteful tweets” about a young woman who died by suicide and her family.

The petition has sought the transfer of an FIR registered under Section 306 (abetment of suicide) into her death against some police officers and another person. Mr. Khalil has asked the court to transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The petition said the woman had recorded a video before her death and it was published in the Internet. It had “directly named” the police officers and the other person. Mr. Khalil said the video constituted her dying declaration.

However, he claimed in the petition that there had been no investigation in the case and the officers allegedly named in the case continue to be in the service.

Mr. Khalil has accused the DGP of “interfering with the administration of justice” with his tweets.

He said the tweets were aimed to “tarnish the reputation” of the woman and her family.

The petition mentioned that the woman had been arrested in a case of securing a job on the basis of forged documents. She was granted bail on May 3, 2021.

It said the issue required a thorough investigation by the CBI and alleged that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands police might not be able to probe the case in a fair manner.

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