Team Code:

Rohi
tkumarRai

Vi
kashRai

Rohi
tSur
yawanshi

BEFORETHEHON’
BLESUPREMECOURTOFI
NDI
CA

DENI
EALOFBAI
LAPPLI
CATI
ON

Year–2022

SUPREMECOURTOFI
NDI
CA

ABOVEMENTI
ONEDPETI
TIONSHAVEBEENCLUBBEDONDI
RECTI
VEOF
HON’
BLESUPREMECOURTOFI
NDI
KA

_
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
_

MEMORI
ALONBEHALFOFTHERESPONDENT
_
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
___
_

1
 MOOTCOURT

FARMERBI
LL

SANDESHFARMERMORCHA(
SFM)

(
APPELLANTS)

VS

UNI
ONOFI
NDI
A

(
RESPONDENT)

2
Tabl
eofCont
ent
s

• St
atementofFact -page4

• St
atementofJur
isdi
cti
on -page5

• St
atementofI
ssues -page6

• Ar
gument
sSummar
y -page7

• Ar
gument
sAdv
anced -page8-
10

• Pr
ayer -page11

3
St
atementofFact
s

• Thesai
dassoci
ati
onwhi
chcamef
orwar
dtosuppor
tpr
otest
orhas
l
argenet
wor
kthr
oughoutt
hecount
ry.Thesai
dassoci
ati
onf
ormed
di
ff
erentsoci
almedi
agr
oupsonWazzappandFr
iendsbookt
ohel
pthe
pr
otest
ors.

• Ononedaymember
sofsai
dassoci
ati
onhadpostt
hei
rvi
ewsonsoci
al
medi
aaboutconst
it
uti
onalv
ali
dit
yoft
heFar
m Law andpur
suantt
o
t
hiscer
tai
nmember
soft
hesai
dassoci
ati
onexpr
essedt
hei
rcr
it
ical
v
iewsaboutt
hegov
ernmentandbecauseoft
hisagi
tat
ion& r
iot
s
st
art
edal
lov
ert
hecount
ryagai
nstt
hegov
ernment
.

• Thesoci
almedi
apost
soft
hesai
dassoci
ati
onwasbr
oughtbef
ore
Rul
i
ngpar
tybysomepeopl
eandi
treachedupt
osomeoft
heMi
nist
ers.
Ther
efor
e,anur
gentcabi
netmeet
ingwascal
l
edi
nor
dert
obant
hese
ki
ndsofonl
i
neact
ivi
ti
esi
nthecount
ry.I
nthemeet
ingar
esol
uti
onwas
passedf
orbanni
ngt
heseki
ndofact
ivi
ti
esi
nexer
ciseoft
hepower
conf
err
ed by t
he I
nfor
mat
ion Technol
ogy Act
,whi
ch t
alks about
Moni
tor
ingandDecr
ypt
ionofI
nfor
mat
ion.

• Somemember
sofsai
dassoci
ati
onswer
ear
rest
edandi
nvest
igat
edby
pol
i
cest
ati
ngt
hatt
heyar
edi
ssemi
nat
ingf
alsei
nfor
mat
ionaboutt
he
l
aw passedbyt
hegov
ernmentwi
tht
hepur
poseofi
nst
igat
ingpeopl
e
agai
nstt
hegov
ernmentandt
hei
rphones,
comput
ersandl
apt
opswer
e
sei
zedbyaut
hor
it
iesst
ati
ngi
tfor
mspar
tofi
nvest
igat
ion.

• TheMember
soft
hesai
dassoci
ati
onf
oundt
ohav
epr
opagat
edsuch
i
nfor
mat
ionandt
heywer
echar
gedwi
thsect
ions120B,
124Aand153A
ofI
ndi
aPenal
codeandt
hei
rAnt
ici
pat
oryBai
lAppl
i
cat
ionwer
erej
ect
ed
byt
heHi
ghcour
t.

4
STATEMENTOFJURI
SDI
CTI
ON

THE COUNSEL FOR THE RESPONDENTS,UNI

ON OF I
NDI
KA,HEREBY HUMBLY
SUBMI
TTOTHI
SHON’
BLECOURT’
SJURI
SDI
CTI
ONAPPLI
CATI
ONUNDERSECTI
ON
437( PC SEEKI
5)Cr NG CANCELLATI
ON OFBAI
LOFTHEACCUSED WHI
CH I
S
CONTESTED BY THEACCUSED.THERESPONDENT WOULD LI
KETO HUMBLY
SUBMI
TFORCANCELLATTI
ONOFTHEBAI
LPLEA.

5
STATEMENTOFI
SSUES

• Put
ti
ngupmedi
aandsoci
alpost
swhi
chi
nsi
ght
svi
olenceorcani
nsi
ght
v
iol
encei
sanpuni
shabl
eof
fence.

• Sect
ion290i
nTheI
ndi
anPenalCodePuni
shmentf
orpubl
i
cnui
sancei
n
casesnotot
her
wisepr
o­v
idedf
or.
—Whoev
ercommi
tsapubl
i
cnui
sance
i
nanycasenotot
her
wisepuni
shabl
ebyt
hisCode,shal
lbepuni
shedwi
th
f
inewhi
chmayext
endt
otwohundr
edr
upees.

• Fundament
alr
ight
scannotbeusedasanshi
eldf
oranactofsedi
ti
onor
v
iol
ence

6
ARGUMENTSUMMARY

 Sect
ion66Aoft
heI
TActhasbeenenact
edt
oregul
atet
hesoci
almedi
alaw
I
ndi
aandassumesi
mpor
tanceasi
tcont
rol
sandr
egul
atesal
lthel
egali
ssues
r
elat
ed t
o soci
almedi
alaw I
ndi
a.Thi
s sect
ion cl
ear
lyr
est
ri
ctst
he
t
ransmi
ssi
on,post
ingofmessages,mai
l
s,comment
swhi
chcanbeof
fensi
ve
orunwar
rant
ed.Theof
fendi
ngmessagecanbei
nfor
m oft
ext
,image,audi
o,
v
ideooranyot
herel
ect
roni
crecor
dwhi
chi
scapabl
eofbei
ngt
ransmi
tt
ed.I
n
t
hecur
rentscenar
iossuchsweepi
ngpower
sundert
heI
TActpr
ovi
desat
ool
i
nthehandsoft
heGov
ernmentt
ocur
bthemi
suseoft
heSoci
alMedi
aLaw
I
ndi
ainanyf
orm.

 Howev
er,
in2015,
inal
andmar
kjudgment
suphol
dingt
her
ightt
ofr
eespeech
i
nrecentt
imes,t
heSupr
emeCour
tinShr
eyaSi
nghalandOr
s.VsUni
onof
I
ndi
a,st
ruckdownSect
ion66Aoft
heI
nfor
mat
ion&Technol
ogyAct
,2000.
Ther
uli
ngwhi
chi
sbei
ngl
audedbyt
hecommonmanandl
egall
umi
nar
ies
al
i
ke,f
ound t
he Cy
ber l
aw pr
ovi
sion t
o be open-
ended,v
ague and
unconst
it
uti
onalowi
ngt
other
est
ri
cti
oni
tcausedt
otheI
ndi
anci
ti
zens’r
ight
t
ofr
eespeech.

 Ther
epealofS.
66Adoesnothowev
err
esul
tinanunr
est
ri
ctedr
ightt
ofr
ee
speech si
nce anal
ogous pr
ovi
sions oft
he I
ndi
an PenalCode (
IPC)wi
l
l
cont
inuet
oappl
ytosoci
almedi
aonl
i
nev
iz.I
ntent
ional
l
yInsul
ti
ngRel
i
gionOr
Rel
i
giousBel
i
efs,
Promot
ingEnmi
tyBet
weenGr
oupsOnGr
oundsOfRel
i
gion,
RaceEt
c.,Def
amat
ion,St
atement
sconduci
ngt
oPubl
i
cMi
schi
ef,I
nsul
ti
ng
TheModest
yOfAWoman,
Cri
minal
Int
imi
dat
ion(
S506)
,et
c.

7
ARGUMENTADVANCED

 Sect
ion 66A oft
he I
T Act
:Puni
shmentf
orsendi
ng of
fensi
ve messages
t
hroughcommuni
cat
ionser
vice,et
c.Anyper
sonwhosends,bymeansofa
comput
err
esour
ceoracommuni
cat
iondev
ice,

(
a)anyi
nfor
mat
iont
hati
sgr
ossl
yof
fensi
veorhasmenaci
ngchar
act
er;
or

(
b)anyi
nfor
mat
ionwhi
chheknowst
obef
alse,butf
ort
hepur
poseof
causi
ng annoy
ance,i
nconv
eni
ence,danger
,obst
ruct
ion,i
nsul
t,i
njur
y,
cr
imi
nali
nti
midat
ion,enmi
ty,hat
redori
l
lwi
l
l,per
sist
ent
lybymaki
nguse
ofsuchcomput
err
esour
ceoracommuni
cat
iondev
ice;

(
c)anyel
ect
roni
cmai
lorel
ect
roni
cmai
lmessagef
ort
hepur
poseof
causi
ngannoy
anceori
nconv
eni
enceort
o decei
veort
o mi
sleadt
he
addr
essee orr
eci
pientaboutt
he or
igi
n ofsuch messages,shal
lbe
puni
shabl
ewi
thi
mpr
isonmentf
orat
erm whi
chmayext
endt
othr
eey
ear
s
andwi
thf
ine.

Expl
anat
ion.
--
Fort
hepur
posesoft
hissect
ion,
ter
ms"
elect
roni
cmai
l
"and
"
elect
roni
cmai
lmessage"meansamessageori
nfor
mat
ioncr
eat
edor
t
ransmi
tt
ed orr
ecei
ved on a comput
er,comput
ersy
stem,comput
er
r
esour
ceorcommuni
cat
iondev
icei
ncl
udi
ngat
tachment
sint
ext
,image,
audi
o,v
ideoandanyot
herel
ect
roni
crecor
d,whi
chmaybet
ransmi
tt
ed
wi
tht
hemessage.
]

 51ACer
tai
npower
soft
heCent
ralGov
ernment
.—Fort
hepr
event
ionof
,and
f
orcopi
ngwi
tht
err
ori
stact
ivi
ti
es,t
heCent
ralGov
ernmentshal
lhav
epower
t
o—

(
a)f
reeze,sei
zeorat
tachf
undsandot
herf
inanci
alasset
soreconomi
c
r
esour
ceshel
dby
,onbehal
foforatt
hedi
rect
ionoft
hei
ndi
vi
dual
sor
ent
it
iesl
i
stedi
ntheSchedul
etot
heOr
der
,oranyot
herper
sonengagedi
n
orsuspect
edt
obeengagedi
nter
ror
ism;

(
b)pr
ohi
bitanyi
ndi
vi
dualorent
it
yfr
om maki
ng anyf
unds,f
inanci
al
asset
soreconomi
cresour
cesorr
elat
edser
vicesav
ail
abl
efort
hebenef
it
oft
hei
ndi
vi
dual
sorent
it
iesl
i
stedi
ntheSchedul
etot
heOr
derorany

8
 ot
herper
sonengagedi
norsuspect
edt
obeengagedi
nter
ror
ism;

(
c)pr
eventt
heent
ryi
ntoort
het
ransi
tthr
oughI
ndi
aofi
ndi
vi
dual
sli
stedi
n
t
heSchedul
etot
heOr
deroranyot
herper
sonengagedi
norsuspect
edt
o
beengagedi
nter
ror
ism.
]

 Sect
ion34oft
heI
ndi
anPenalCode

Aper
soni
sli
abl
eonl
yfort
hoseact
sthathe/
shehascommi
tt
edandnotf
or
t
hoseact
sthatar
ecommi
tt
edbysomeoneel
se.Accor
dingt
othegener
al
pr
inci
plesofcr
imi
nall
i
abi
l
ity
,themai
nresponsi
bil
i
tyi
soft
hei
ndi
vi
dualor
per
sonwhocommi
tst
heof
fenceandonl
ysuchper
soncanbehel
dgui
l
tyand
bepuni
shedf
ort
hecommi
tt
edcr
ime.

Howev
er,t
heI
ndi
anPenalCodeconsi
stsofmanypr
ovi
sionst
hati
ncl
udet
he
doct
ri
neof“
commonpur
pose”f
oundi
ncr
imi
nall
aw j
uri
spr
udencesacr
oss
count
ri
es.Thi
sdoct
ri
neenabl
escr
imi
nal
responsi
bil
i
tyt
obeat
tacheduponan
i
ndi
vi
dualf
oracr
imet
hathasbeencommi
tt
edbyanot
heri
ndi
vi
dualont
he
basi
sthatsuchcr
imewascommi
tt
edasapar
tofacommondesi
gnwhi
ch
wasagr
eeduponbyt
heaccusedandot
heri
ndi
vi
dual
(s)
.Sect
ion34oft
heI
PC
i
sonesuchSect
ion.

 Sect
ion149i
nTheI
ndi
anPenalCode

149.Ev
erymemberofunl
awf
ulassembl
ygui
l
tyofof
fencecommi
t­t
edi
n
pr
osecut
ionofcommonobj
ect
.—I
fanof
fencei
scommi
tt
edbyanymemberof
anunl
awf
ulassembl
yinpr
osecut
ionoft
hecommonobj
ectoft
hatassembl
y,
orsuchast
hemember
soft
hatassembl
yknewt
obel
i
kel
ytobecommi
tt
edi
n
pr
osecut
ionoft
hatobj
ect
,ev
eryper
sonwho,
att
het
imeoft
hecommi
tt
ingof
t
hatof
fence,
isamemberoft
hesameassembl
y,i
sgui
l
tyoft
hatof
fence.

CaseLaw:

Nar
eshAgar
sinhChhar
a@ Nar
iyov
sSt
ateOfGuj
araton20Apr
il
,2018

Kamal
a&Or
s.v
sSt
ateOfDel
hi&Or
son24August
,2018

9
 Kar
ampal
vsTheSt
ateOfHar
yanaon24August
,2018

 Sect
ion336i
nTheI
ndi
anPenalCode

336.Actendanger
ingl
i
feorper
sonalsaf
etyofot
her
s.—Whoev
erdoesanyact
sor
ashl
yornegl
i
gent
lyast
oendangerhumanl
i
feort
heper
sonalsaf
etyof
ot
her
s,shal
lbepuni
shedwi
thi
mpr
is­onmentofei
therdescr
ipt
ionf
orat
erm
whi
chmayext
endt
othr
eemont
hs,orwi
thf
inewhi
chmayext
endt
otwo
hundr
edandf
if
tyr
upees,
orwi
thbot
h.

CaseLaws:

Mr
.AnandJai
swalAndOt
her
svsTheSt
ateOfMahar
asht
raThr
...
.on17
Mar
ch,
2017

St
atev
s.Ji
tenderMohl
aon25Oct
ober
,2012

St
atev
s.Ji
tenderMohl
aon30Oct
ober
,2012

Lal
i
tvsSt
ateOfU.
P.on24Oct
ober
,2016

Concl
usi
on:

Thei
ssueofcensor
shi
pofonl
i
necont
enti
nIndi
aisat
ri
ckyone– t
he
Const
it
uti
onper
mit
scensor
shi
pincer
tai
nli
mit
edci
rcumst
ances.Thi
sisa
pr
obl
em asduet
othegl
obalnat
ureoft
heI
nter
net
,iti
sver
ydi
ff
icul
ttocont
rol
cont
entbei
ngupl
oadedi
nfor
eigncount
ri
esandbei
ngv
iewedi
nIndi
a.Fur
ther
,
t
het
hor
nyi
ssueofwhoget
stodeci
det
ocensorcont
entandunderwhat
ci
rcumst
ances i
s a nuanced debat
e – whi
ch unf
ort
unat
elyt
ends t
o be
hi
j
acked by ar
gument
s based on secur
it
y concer
ns / need f
orbr
oad
emer
gencypr
ovi
sions.Mostat
tempt
satcensor
shi
p hav
ether
efor
ebeen
haphazar
dandi
nconsi
stent
.

Fur
ther
,issues r
aised by communal
,def
amat
ory and v
iol
ent cont
ent
(
par
ti
cul
arl
ytowar
ds women) cont
inue t
orecei
vev
eryl
i
ttl
e at
tent
ion.
Par
ti
cul
arl
ywor
ryi
ngi
sthel
ackofaccount
abi
l
ity
,tr
anspar
encyandov
ersi
ght
i
nthesy
stem.Onehopest
hatt
heSupr
emeCour
twi
l
ltakeappr
opr
iat
eact
ion
byst
ri
ki
ngdownt
her
elev
antpr
ovi
sionsi
ntheI
TActt
her
ebyf
orci
ngt
he

10
l
egi
slat
ureandexecut
ivet
oputi
npl
aceamor
eopen,equi
tabl
eandj
ust
sy
stemsofcensor
shi
pthatt
rul
yabi
desbyt
heConst
it
uti
onalspi
ri
tembodi
ed
i
nA19(
1)(
a).

11
 PRAYER

WHEREFORE I
N THE LI
GHT OF THE I
SSUES RAI
SED,ARGUMENTS ADVANCED AND
AUTHORI
TIES CI
TED,I
TIS HUMBLY PRAYED THAT THI
S HON’
BLE COURT MAY BE
PLEASEDTO:

Enl
arget
oabol
i
sht
hebai
lpl
eaoft
hepet
it
ionerabi
dedbyt
het
hem.

Andpassanyor
der
,di
rect
iont
hatt
hisHon’
bleCour
tmaydeem f
iti
nthei
nter
est
sofj
ust
ice,
equi
tyandgoodconsci
ence.

Al
lofwhi
chi
shumbl
ypr
ayed,

Counsel
sfort
heRespondent
.

12