Read Time: 02 minutes

A Supreme Court Bench of Justices Chandrachud and Bopanna today restrained Tripura Police (Cyber Branch) from acting on notice sent to journalist Samiullah Shabbir Khan for tweeting about Tripura violence and tagging the police in the same.

Sharaukh Alam, advocate, appearing for Khan submitted that Khan had put out a tweet on his twitter account on Twitter on vieolernce in Tripura. The police were tagged with this tweet.However,  on 22 November 2021,  a communication was addressed from cyber crime to twitter Inc adverting to registration of FIR u/s 153,b.479, 474 and 13 of UAPA among others.

Alam further submitted that the  communication has sought removal of certain contents, preservation of contents of the twitter account as on 1st October, user registration, browsing log, email, IP and mobile number. Alam submitted that writing about violence cannot attract any such offences.

The court on hearing the parties to issued notice in the petition and tagged the matter with  Writ Petition 470 of 2021 being similar in nature. The court further issued an ad interim direction restraining the Tripura Police Cyber Branch from acting on communication dated 22nd November 2021.

Case title : Samiullar Shabbir Kahan Vs SI cyber police