News portals’ plea against new IT Rules: Delhi HC adjourns hearing to August 20

For digital news publishers who are challenging the Information Technology (Guidelines For Intermediaries And Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 in the courts, the wait has become longer as the Delhi High Court has adjourned hearing in the case till August 20, 2021. The digital news publishers who have moved the court include The Quint, The Wire, AltNews, among others.

Appearing in the case, Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma requested a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh to list the petitions of the digital news platforms for hearing on August 20, 2021. He further stated that the Center had filed a transfer petition before the Supreme Court seeking transfer of all petitions filed before different High Courts, challenging the new IT Rules, to the Supreme Court. Sharma also sought more time to file a counter-affidavit in the matter.

To this, Senior Advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, representing the digital news publishers, stated that no notice has been issued by the Supreme Court in this regard, nor has there been any stay on High Court proceedings so far. Ramakrishnan also pointed out that the Kerala High Court had 1passed orders restraining coercive action under the IT Rules against certain media houses.

After hearing the two parties, the Division Bench of the Delhi High Court listed the hearing in the case for hearing on August 20, 2021, and also directed the Centre to file its counter-affidavit on that date.