Karnataka HC quashes notice issued by UP police against Twitter India MD

arrest

Karnataka HC quashes notice issued by UP police against Twitter India MD

The Karnataka High Court quashed the notice issued by Uttar Pradesh police, to Twitter India MD Manish Maheshwari, under Section 41A of CrPC. The said notice was issued in furtherance to the FIR registered over the video posted in Twitter which showed assault of a Muslim man in Ghaziabad.

The court called the notice as a “tool of harassment” which had been used by the Uttar Pradesh without ascertaining if the MD of Twitter really had any control over the contents posted on social media platform.

The court observed that the Uttar Pradesh police did not place any material before it which would prove prima facie involvement of the petitioner. It further stated that the notice under Section 41A contains threat of arrest which must be interpreted as a notice under Section 160 CrPC.

The court clarified that the Uttar Pradesh have the liberty to sought for petitioner’s statement as a witness under Section 160 of CrPC.

It was observed that Twitter INC holds no share in Twitter Communications India Pvt. Ltd. Moreover, it was indicated that TCIPL’s operations were extended upto market research and advertising, and had no control over the social media content.

The court noted that the Twitter India MD had not been arraigned as an accused either in the complaint or FIR. The court concluded that the notice was mala fide and was used as an arm twisting method.

It further noted that the three essentials- arraying petitioner as an accused; credible information against petitioner; or suspicion based on reasonable grounds that proved petitioner’s involvement, had not been present, and thus Uttar Pradesh could not legally invoke Section 41A.

The court, therefore, did not allow Uttar Pradesh police to intervene with the liberty of Twiiter India MD on unreasonable grounds.

2560 1385 Shivangi Pandey
Share
1 Comment

Leave a Reply

Shivangi Pandey

Shivangi Pandey

I'm a news analyst at LexForti Legal News.

All stories by : Shivangi Pandey
About Author
Shivangi Pandey

Shivangi Pandey

I'm a news analyst at LexForti Legal News.

Consult
Leave this field blank
CLICK HERE TO VISIT