The High court noted that it was open for the petitioner to approach an appropriate authority for the misuse of social media and disposed of the petition. File
| Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday (April 30, 2025) disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a sitting MLA, Kiran Samant (52) from Rajapur Assembly Constituency in Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, raising grave concerns arising out of rampant misuse and abuse of internet and social media platforms by certain influential personalities.

The petition claimed that under the garb of free speech, the influencers are commercialising their content while deliberately spreading material that is scandalous, derogatory and demeaning to the judiciary and executive of India thereby posing a serious threat to public order, harmony and the rule of law.

The respondents in the matter are Government of India, GOOGLE LLC and satirist and stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra. The MLA has impleaded Mr. Kamra for publishing contemptuous material on YouTube and the Government of India and GOOGLE for failing to regulate such contents.

Calling for enforcement of the IT Act, 2000, and the Intermediary Guidelines (2021), the petitioner has sought judicial directions to ensure accountability, responsible content moderation and protection of the judiciary from being targeted for commercial gain under the cloak of satire or criticism. 

A Division Bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice M. S. Karnik questioned why Mr. Karma was added in the case and said that it is a general PIL asking to curb the misuse of digital platforms by influencers, public personalities and comedians, hence, relief cannot be granted.

“What according to you may be misuse of social media platform, can be free of speech for the society. Who will decide whether it is a use or a misuse? I don’t know how to grant this relief. This is selective targeting. You have impeded only one person but there are several others who say things about judiciary, and you haven’t Impleaded them,” the Bench observed.  

Mr. Samant argued that Mr. Kamra’s tweets calling the Supreme Court “the most Supreme joke of this country” and makes contemptuous remarks about retired Justice D.Y. Chandrachud.

“Kamra posts an image of his fingers on Twitter with a caption aimed at CJI Arvind Bobde, interpreted as showing the middle finger. Contempt proceedings initiated against Mr. Kamra in the Supreme Court; then Attorney General K.K. Venugopal opines that Kamra’s tweets amount contempt. Stand-up video titled ‘Be Like’ uploaded on YouTube by Kamra containing vulgar and demeaning remarks about the judiciary,” the petition said.  

The MLA also said that the comedian makes content to mock independent agencies like the ED, CBI and judiciary and monetises such material through digital platform and recently uploaded a new video titled ‘Naya Bharat A Comedy Special’ on YouTube containing contemptuous content; the video garners 1.25 crore views. 

Hearing the matter, the Bench said, “You cannot determine what is reasonable and what is not. There is a law regulating these platforms and the court decides whether it is offensive or not. This PIL is directed against just responded 3 (Mr. Kamra). If guidelines are breached, you file a complaint, but PIL against an individual cannot be entertained.” 

Senior advocate Darius Khambata argued that the petition seeks order against just one respondent. “The petition seeks direction of vigilance of social media. This matter is before the Supreme Court now.”  

On the petition seeking direction on the formation of a Social Media Vigilance Committee, the Bench said it is in the realm of policy making and thus it cannot issue direction on the prayer and his prayed to direct the IT Ministry to implement the IT Act and Rules is coached in general and wide terms.

The court noted that it was open for the petitioner to approach an appropriate authority for the misuse of social media and disposed of the petition. 

Visakhapatnam: Seven devotees were killed and one injured after a wall collapsed near the queue lines at the famous Simhachalam temple in the Eastern Ghats, Visakhapatnam, early on Wednesday morning. The dead included four members of the same family.
The temple’s hereditary trustee, former Union minister Pusapati Ashok Gajapati Raju, and his family were in the temple offering prayers when tragedy struck but they suffered no harm.
Thousands of devotees from across Andhra Pradesh had gathered at the temple dedicated to Lord Varaha Narasimha Swamy to witness the annual Chandanotsavam. All through the year the idol is covered in sandal paste, and only during Chandanotsavam does the deity give darshan in His original form, attracting thousands of devotees.
Tragedy struck between 3 am and 3.15 am when a newly built wall, meant to act as a barrier against landslides, collapsed on devotees standing in queues. The 20 feet long and 2.5 feet wide wall caved in after a heavy 40-minute downpour accompanied by thunderstorms and fierce gales. The wall was built only last week.
State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) jawans retrieved six bodies by removing debris with their bare hands and also rescued two people. They did not have any equipment at the time.
Devotees alleged the wall collapsed because of substandard construction. They said from the debris it seemed as if it contained excessive sand and insufficient cement. The wall was also built without supporting pillars or beams on the ground.
This is the first ever tragedy at the centuries old temple during Chandanotsavam. Though there have been minor stampedes in the past, there were no fatalities.
State home minister V Anita said, “Action will be taken against those responsible for the accident.” Chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu held a teleconference with ministers Anam Ramnarayaa Reddy, Anita, Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, Anagani Satya Prasad, Visakhapatnam MP M Bharat, Gajapati Raju, and others.
There was tension at the King George Hospital mortuary for almost five hours as family members and relatives of Pilla Umamahesh and Sailaja, a software engineer couple, did not agree to a postmortem unless the govt announced higher compensation and a govt job to a family member.
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The Andhra Pradesh govt appointed a three-man committee to look into the cause of the tragedy. It includes municipal administration principal secretary Suresh Kumar, Eagle Force chief Ake Ravikrishna, and irrigation engineer-in-chief Venkateswara Rao. CM N Chandrababdu Naidu announced an ex gratia of Rs 25 lakh each for the kin of the deceased. One member of the family will also receive a govt job. The injured will receive Rs 3 lakh each.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh each for the deceased’s families and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM relief fund.
List of the dead
HCL employee Pilla Umamaheswara Rao (30), his wife Pilla Sailaja (27) of Chandrampalem, his mother-in-law Pyla Venkata Ratnam (45), and a relative G Mahalakshmi (65)
K Manikantha Eswara Sesha Rao (29) and Pathi Durga Prasad Naidu (30) from Korlapativaripalem in Ambajipeta, East Godavari district
Yedla Venkata Rao (58) of Adavivaram Gurukul School area in Vizag
Pyla Praveen of Arilova, the injured person, is receiving treatment in VIIMS hospital.