FIR Lodged On Derogatory Social Media Posts Against Allahabad HC Judges For Ordering Removal Of 'Name & Shame' Banners [Read FIR]

The FIR has been lodged against an unidentified person by RTI Activist Dr. Nutan Thakur in the Gomtinagar Police Station at Lucknow.

In a special sitting held on Sunday, March 8, the bench comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Ramesh Sinha had taken suo moto cognizance of the hoardings raised by the UP Police in Lucknow, containing photographs and details of persons accused of violence during anti-CAA protests.

On March 9, the bench had directed removal of the said hoardings while holding the same to be an intrusion into the privacy of individuals.

In the FIR, Thakur has alleged that the unidentified accused persons were making scathing and inflammatory remarks on social media against the HC judges. She lists down certain undignified remarks that have been circulating and trending on Twitter.

As per the FIR, these remarks call Justices by names, and accuse them of promoting riots, instead of protecting the law and the citizenry. The remarks make wild allegations against the judges, suggesting that the orders were passed with mala fides. Inter alia, she alleges, similar messages are also being forwarded on Facebook and Whatsapp.

Thakur has said that such posts on social media are an affront on the Constitutional arrangement and it has led to a hateful environment in the State.

Accordingly, the FIR has been registered under Section 500 of IPC for defamation, Section 507 of IPC for criminal intimidation by anonymous communication and for circulating offensive messages under Section 66 of the IT (Amendment) Act, 2008.

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