HC takes serious view of defamatory comments on social media, seeks report from police

Chennai: Taking a serious view of a growing trend of defamatory comments against Constitutional authorities and officials by several people on social media, the Madras High Court on Friday directed the Tamil Nadu police chief to file a comprehensive report on whether there was any mechanism to nab those making such attacks.

In recent days, defamatory comments were made by several persons without any evidence and even the family members of the Constitutional authorities and officials in high posts were targeted with these statements spreading rapidly on the social media, Justice M Dandapani said.

In order to curb the said illegal activities it would suffice to issue a direction to the Cyber Crime Branch in order to ascertain whether there was any mechanism to nab the people who made such defamatory statements and criticism, he said.

He directed the state Director General of Police to file a comprehensive report and posted the matter to January 29.

The Judge was passing interim orders on a bail petition of Maruthachalam of Coimbatore, who is alleged to have posted defamatory statement against an advocate and a Constitutional authority.

The petitioner was directed to file an undertaking that he would not upload any such kind of videos in future in the social media. Maruthachalam submitted he did not have any connection with the posts made in the social media.

Even close scrutiny of the video alleged to have been posted by him would show it does not constitute an offence for which he had been charged.