SC asks Attorney General to reply to PIL on Sec 66(A) of IT Act by Friday

New Delhi: The Supreme Court has directed the petitioners to serve a copy of the petition challenging Section 66(A) of the Information Technology Act to the Attorney General. The A-G has been summoned to respond to the petition on Friday.

A Delhi student has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court challenging Section 66(A) of the Information Technology Act which was invoked to arrest two girls in Palghar, Maharashtra after they posted a comment on the bandh in Mumbai after Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's demise.

The petition wants the offence under Section 66(A) of the Information Technology Act to be made non-cognizable. The Supreme Court will hear the petition on Thursday afternoon. Thane Superintendent of Police (rural) and Palghar police station Sub-Inspector were suspended for disobeying the orders of superiors while arresting two girls from Palghar for the Facebook post.

The Shiv Sena had called for bandh in Palghar on Wednesday to protest against the action on the policemen in the Facebook arrest case. Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil said that the police officials were suspended for disobeying the orders of the IG of Konkan zone.

Meanwhile, in another case a 19-year-old boy has spoken out after his Facebook account was allegedly hacked and used to abuse MNS chief Raj Thackeray. The boy maintains that he never wrote the controversial post but believes it was written to create enmity in Palghar where a large number of North Indians live.

The boy was questioned about the post and let off on Wednesday after the MNS complained. A case has been filed against an unknown person under the IT Act. The Thane Cyber crime Cell is in the process of tracking the hacker.