SC asks UP to explain arrest of schoolboy over FB post
20 Mar 2015
The Uttar Pradesh government's effort to gag criticism by jailing a schoolboy has backfired, as all such government efforts do in one way or another.
The Supreme Court today ordered the state government to explain the arrest of a class 12 boy for posting an ''objectionable'' comment about Samajwadi Party minister Azam Khan on Facebook.
A Bench headed by by Justice J Chelameswar gave the state four weeks to respond.
The UP government said it can ''demonstrate the comment made by the boy was defamatory and inflammatory''.
Appearing for petitioner Shreya Singhal, senior advocate Soli Sorabjee submitted that ''there has been an abuse of power'' despite an advisory issued by the centre to all states against such arrests.
The UP government said the boy can seek remedy under the law and he is now out on bail.
The Supreme Court had earlier reserved its judgment on the constitutionality of provisions like section 66A of the Information Technology Act which provides for such arrests.