SC issues notice to States, UTs over FIRs filed under scrapped Section 66-A of IT Act

The Supreme Court of India on Monday issued notice to all states, Union Territories (UTs), and Registrar General of all state High Courts after hearing the petition of People's Union For Civil Liberties (PUCL) seeking action against those allegedly involved in registering FIRS under Section 66-A of the Information Technology, (IT) Act, 2000 despite the Supreme Court striking it down earlier.

"We issue notice," said a bench of the apex court headed by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman on Monday.

The apex court said that notice is issued to all states and union territories, including Registrar General of all High Courts, and fixed the matter for further hearing after four weeks.

During the course of the hearing today, the bench observed, "The judiciary we can take care of separately but the police are also there. There needs to be one proper order because this cannot continue like this."

Senior lawyer Sanjay Parikh, appearing for the PUCL, said that this is a serious matter. He pleaded to the apex court to look at how cases have increased in these types of matters.

The apex court in its hearing on July 5 had expressed shock at the practice of police registering FIRs under Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, which was struck down by it in the 2015 judgment (Shreya Singhal vs Union of India).

On the hearing on July 5, the apex court had expressed its serious displeasure, and said, "What is going on is terrible? Why it is happening (registering FIRs under Section 66A)?"

In a landmark verdict of Shreya Singhal vs Union of India, the top court had on March 24, 2015, quashed Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and had held that it is not only vague and arbitrary but also said that it also "disproportionately invades individual's right of free (freedom) speech."

( With inputs from ANI )