SC tags Centre's plea for transfer of petitions on new IT Rules from HCs with pending matter

The Supreme Court on Friday said the Centres plea seeking transfer of petitions challenging the validity of new IT Rules from different high courts to the Apex court would be heard on July 16 along with a pending matter related to regulation of overthetop OTT platformsA bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and Sanjiv Khanna tagged the Centres plea with a pending special leave petition SLP in which the apex court had in March this year stayed proceedings before several high courts on petitions related to regulation of OTT platformsldquoWe will tag it Centres plea with the SLPrdquo the bench said adding the matter would be listed before an appropriate bench on July 16Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for the Centre urged the bench to stay the proceedings pending in different high courts on pleas challenging the validity of the new Information Technology Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules 2021Also Read New IT rules assault on freedom of speech News portal Leaflet to Bombay High CourtldquoWe are not saying anything We are simply tagging it with the other matterrdquo the bench saidOne of the advocates appearing in the matter told the bench that the pending SLP is prior to the new RulesAccording to the new IT Rules social media and streaming companies will be required to take down contentious content quicker appoint grievance redressable officers and assist in investigationsThe new Rules also seek to regulate the functioning of online media portals and publishers overthetop OTT platforms and social media intermediariesThe Centre has moved the apex court seeking transfer of pleas challenging the validity of new IT Rules from different high courts to the top court for an authoritative pronouncement on the issueSeveral petitions challenging the new IT Rules are pending adjudication in different high courts including the high courts of Delhi and MadrasThe top court had earlier issued notice on a separate transfer petition filed by the Centre seeking to club all petitions filed in various high courts on the issue of regulating OTT platformsSeveral pleas challenging the validity of new IT Rules are pending adjudication in the Delhi High Court which had sought response from the Centre on these petitionsSome of the pleas pending before the Delhi High Court have sought striking down of specific part of the IT Rules on the ground that it allegedly violates Article 191a and 191g of the Constitution creating a ldquochilling effectrdquo on media freedom Article 14 of the Constitution by creating an unreasonable classification and by setting up a parallel adjudicatory mechanism to be overseen by the officials of executive and is ultra vires the IT ActThe Madras High Court had on June 23 issued notice to the Centre seeking its response on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the new IT rulesIn March this year the Kerala High Court had sought the Centres response on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of new IT RulesThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever