Delhi riots: No coercive action against Facebook VP till Oct 15 over assembly panel summons, says SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Wednesday directed a Delhi Legislative Assembly panel not to take coercive action against Facebook India VP and MD Ajit Mohan till October 15 in connection with a summon asking him to depose before it with regard to northeast Delhi riots.

The panel is probing the social media firm's role in the spread of alleged hate speech. A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Aniruddha Bose and Krishna Murari issued notices to the secretary of the Legislative Assembly; the ministries of Law and Justice, Home Affairs, Electronics and IT; Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, represented by the Secretary-General, and Delhi Police, asking them to respond to the plea.

The apex court's order came on the plea by Mohan and others challenging the September 10 and September 18 notices issued by Delhi Assembly's peace and harmony committee that sought his presence before the panel which is probing the Delhi riots in February and FB's role in the spread of hate speech.