Court refuses immediate relief, directs review panel to examine blocking order under IT Rules
The Delhi High Court on Friday sought a response from the Central Government on a plea challenging the blocking of social media accounts linked to the satirical platform “Cockroach Janta Party,” while declining to grant any immediate interim relief to the petitioner.
The petition was filed by Abhijeet Dipke, who approached the court seeking restoration of access to the blocked accounts and questioning the legality of the government’s action under the Information Technology Rules.
During the hearing, the High Court directed the review committee constituted under the IT Rules to examine the matter, hear all concerned parties and submit its findings after reviewing the blocking order.
The petitioner argued before the court that the “Cockroach Janta Party” accounts primarily functioned as a satire platform and that the blocking action had allegedly been taken without providing an opportunity for hearing.
Dipke’s counsel also raised concerns regarding the lack of transparency surrounding the blocking order, contending that while confidentiality protections may apply to intermediaries and third parties, such orders cannot be entirely shielded from judicial scrutiny.
The Centre opposed the plea for immediate restoration of the accounts and resisted interim relief during the proceedings.
The bench observed that the matter required detailed examination and said it would not immediately interfere with the blocking order at this stage, especially since the statutory review mechanism was already examining the issue.
The court further noted that the Information Technology Rules provide for periodic review of blocking directions through a designated committee tasked with determining whether such orders comply with legal requirements.
Accordingly, the High Court directed the review committee to hear both sides and place its decision on record before the court.
The bench also clarified that while it was not inclined to immediately scrutinise the blocking order itself, it could call for relevant records later if necessary.
The matter has now been listed for further hearing on July 7, by which time the review committee is expected to complete its review process.
The blocking of the “Cockroach Janta Party” accounts has triggered online debate over free speech, satire and transparency in content moderation decisions under India’s IT framework.
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