The Supreme Court, consisting of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra, has declined to entertain a plea filed by two Manipur residents regarding the recurring internet shutdowns in the state due to ethnic violence. Instead, the court granted them the liberty to approach the Manipur High Court on the matter.
The bench acknowledged that a division bench of the Manipur High Court is already seized of the matter and has formed an expert committee to examine the possibility of restoring internet services in the state.
Advocate Shadan Farasat, representing the petitioners, stated that the issue at hand concerned the internet ban in Manipur. Considering the pending petition under Article 226 before the high court, Farasat sought permission to withdraw the plea and intervene in the ongoing case or file an independent petition before the high court. The Supreme Court granted permission, leaving all rights and contentions open for the petitioners.
The plea was filed by Chongtham Victor Singh and Mayengbam James, who argued that the internet shutdown was a “grossly disproportionate” interference with the constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression, as well as the right to conduct trade or business using the constitutionally protected medium of the internet.
