Section 66A: Key Petitions Which Triggered The Change

BENGALURU: The country lauds the boldest decision taken by the Supreme Court of India to scrap Section 66A under the Information and Technology Act. Indian Judiciary has had a long standing past with this controversial act that involves several crucial petitioners who have fought for the cause over the years.

Here are those men and women who filed several petitions, they wrote to the respective departments and even carried out public campaigns to revoke the act. It is their actions that led the Supreme Court to strike down Section 66A of IT Act. Indian Express compiled the following list of petitioners.

First Petitioner: Shreya Singhal

The first among the lot to challenge the law, Shreya Singhal, a law student based in Delhi, filed a petition following the arrests of Shaheena Dhada and Rinu Sreenivasan in Palghar in 2012. Her Public Interest Litigation (PIL) contended that Section 66A goes against the right to freedom of speech and expression enshrined in the Constitution of India. Though the law aims to protect citizens from defamation; it can be used to restrict fundamental rights. Singhal, who is a fifth generation lawyer in her family, filed this PIL to channel her anger against the arrests of Dhada and Srinivasan.

Also Read: Scrapping Section 66A: Does it Serve The Purpose?
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