Delhi High Court seeks L-G, MeitY reply on police powers
NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Lieutenant Governor's Office and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on a plea challenging a notification empowering Delhi Police to order online content removal.
The petition, filed by the Software Freedom Law Centre (SFLC.in), contests the notification designating Delhi Police as the Nodal Agency under the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, allowing them to issue takedown notices under the IT Act.
The matter is scheduled for hearing on September 17.
The SFLC argues that only the Central Government has blocking powers under Section 69A of the IT Act and related rules. Granting these powers to the police is 'ultra vires' and oversteps statutory limits.
The plea raises concerns over unchecked censorship and violation of fundamental rights, citing Shreya Singhal and Madhyamam Broadcasting rulings.
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