Saket Building Collapse Delhi Hc Orders Video Takedown
I
Indian ExpressVerified Publisher
The Delhi High Court Monday directed social media platforms to block a user and take down posts and videos that allegedly contained contemptuous remarks against a sitting HC judge. The user had accused the judge of colluding with the civic body, which the contemnor alleged was responsible for the deaths of six people in a building collapse in Saket on May 30. A criminal contempt petition was filed by the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) flagging posts by Dr Kapil Kakar and a social media handle named ‘Black Justice-Web
The Delhi High Court Monday directed social media platforms to block a user and take down posts and videos that allegedly contained contemptuous remarks against a sitting HC judge. The user had accused the judge of colluding with the civic body, which the contemnor alleged was responsible for the deaths of six people in a building collapse in Saket on May 30.
A criminal contempt petition was filed by the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA) flagging posts by Dr Kapil Kakar and a social media handle named ‘Black Justice-Web Series’, uploaded on June 2, for targeting the judiciary.
The posts had allegedly accused the sitting Delhi HC judge as being responsible for the lives lost in the building collapse and colluding with corporates as well as civic bodies.
Senior Advocate N Hariharan, appearing for the DHCBA, impressed before the bench of Justices Neena Bansal Krishna and Madhu Jain, “There are two videos… it is absolutely contumacious. With every video being posted, it’s increasing in degree… (in the allegations being made against the sitting judge of HC). What can be more contemptuous, scurrilous than this?… there is no end to this.”
Social media intermediaries, including Meta, told the court that “as lawyers, we cannot tolerate this kind of content”, and it will take down the videos and comply with any other direction issued by the court.
While Hariharan emphasised that an injunction order be issued to social media intermediaries, Justice Krishna orally remarked, “What has happened is, the media has become all powerful… (there is responsibility) on these platforms also. Once you get to know about something so absurd, why don’t you suo motu remove it? Is there any embargo? Because this is happening daily, not everyone can afford to come to court.”
The bench directed the intermediaries to forthwith remove all the material highlighted in the petition and also take responsibility of removing any further material if brought to their knowledge, forthwith.
The court has kept the matter next for consideration on July 9.