The High Court of Karnataka has directed 18 digital media platforms to temporarily block the news articles, videos, and comments retained in the websites even after the acquittal of a couple in a criminal case four years ago.
Justice Krishna S. Dixit passed the interim order on Wednesday on the petition filed by a city-based couple Neekunj Todi and Nafisa Usmani. The petitioner-couple had questioned the non-removal of such contents published since 2014 when the criminal case of allegedly abusing a 13-year-old domestic help was registered against them. The couple was acquitted of the charges in 2018.
“This interim protection has been granted in the light of observations of the apex court in the judgment of K.S. Puttaswamy Vs. Union of India,” the court said in the order. The court also ordered issue of notice to the Union government.
“Continued display of the news articles, videos, and comments on the websites, despite the order of acquittal from the trial court has adversely affected the petitioners’ privacy, and employment opportunities, and has caused immense mental trauma. It has made it difficult for them to lead a normal life despite being found innocent of the offences they were charged with,” it has been contended in the petition.
It has also been contended in the petition, filed through advocate A.N. Gangadharaiah, that continuation of the publications against petitioners infringes their right to privacy as the news articles and videos against them can be accessed by the users of internet by merely entering the names of the petitioners in the search engines.
Continued publication of articles against them even after their acquittal has affected their right to be forgotten and to be left alone, the petitioners have contended seeking a direction to the digital media platforms to permanently delete the articles, videos and comments.
