CHENNAI: A petitioner has moved the Madras High Court, seeking directions to the State DGP to frame uniform safeguards for police when handling complaints related to social media posts, political criticism, and online speech.

Advocate H Syed Alim sought directions to the Director General of Police to issue a Police Standing Order or circular prescribing uniform safeguards for police stations, cybercrime units, and investigating officers while dealing with complaints relating to social media posts, political criticism, satire, and online speech.

The petitioner said the plea was necessitated by the increasing registration of criminal cases against citizens, journalists, political commentators, activists and social media users for expressing criticism, satire and political opinions online. He cited recent cases registered against DMK MLA GV Markandayan, DMK's Anbanathan and Vinoth Suriya Kumar over remarks made during public speeches.

He contended that police often registered cases and made arrests without verifying whether the complainants were legally aggrieved by the alleged expression or examining the legal maintainability of the complaints. He further alleged that the police, under pressure from influential politicians and amid political rivalry, were using arrests and inquiries to harass individuals under the guise of investigation.

The petitioner argued that such arbitrary exercise of State power violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and affected the freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under Article 19(1)(a). He sought a uniform procedure requiring careful scrutiny of complaints involving political speech and social media expression before taking coercive action, without affecting the police's duty to register and investigate cognisable offences.