Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday issued notice to the Central Government, social media platforms X and Instagram, and Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) leader Saurav Das in connection with alleged derogatory comments against the judiciary. The petition filed in the court seeks a background check on Saurav Das and the cancellation of his passport and Aadhaar card.
The petition, filed by Ganesh Kumar, a resident of Kanchipuram, also seeks instructions to block Saurav Das’s accounts on X and Instagram. Furthermore, it also seeks to prevent him from making any further statements against the judiciary and Supreme Court judges.
B. Jagannath, the lawyer representing the petitioner, informed the court that he had previously filed a complaint with the relevant authorities, but no action was taken.
Explaining the reason for filing the petition, Jagannath said, “The way he talks about the judiciary is not the right way.”
Notices to several central ministries and social media platforms
A bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan issued notices to the Regional Passport Officer in Chennai, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the grievance redressal officers of X and Instagram in this matter.
The court directed all parties to respond within six weeks. The case will be heard again after that.
Reacting to the development, CJP leader Ashutosh Ranka called it a “moment of collective embarrassment.”