Madras HC closes plea on police notification on X handles, posts

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Monday closed a plea challenging a Tamil Nadu Police notification directing the removal or blocking of multiple URLs (posts and handles) on the social media platform X.

The bench comprising Chief Justice SA Dharmadhikari and Justice G Arul Murugan closed the plea after the petitioner's counsel informed the court that the posts in question were deleted by the users and thus nothing survived in the matter, making it infructuous.

In his plea, Chockalingam (55), president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (North Tamil Nadu), stated that the State government had issued a notice on May 8, ordering the blocking of multiple X URLs, purportedly under Section 79 (3) (b) of the Information Technology Act.

The petitioner submitted that the directive also required removal or blocking within three hours, making it appear wholly disproportionate, particularly in the absence of any disclosed emergency, imminent threat of violence, or extraordinary circumstance affecting public order.

The petitioner also sought a directive to the Cyber Crime Wing to quash the order. During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel argued that blocking the 18 URLs curtailed lawful political criticism, satire and democratic discussion.