Delhi Police Files FIR Over Malicious Social Media Post Against Wife of CJI DY Chandrachud: Investigation Underway
In a major legal development, the Delhi Police have filed an FIR in connection with a malicious social media post against the wife of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud by posting a defamatory post. A complaint was filed by the administration of the Supreme Court when the defamatory and factually incorrect post appeared, formerly known as Twitter. The incident has given cause for concern because of the rising misuse of social media platforms targeting public figures to dent the image of the judiciary. To this end, Delhi Police’s IFSO-a specialized unit-is investigating the case.
Complaint from Supreme Court Administration
The issue cropped up after the Admin Security office of the Supreme Court filed an FIR with the Delhi Police. In this context, it was complained that one tweet with a malafide intention had been circulated, maligning the judiciary and personally targeting the wife of the CJI DY Chandrachud. The post was factually incorrect, besides being defamatory in nature, and hence an attempt to erode public trust in the judicial system.
It has been said in the statement issued by the Delhi Police: “Till date, not only ill-intentioned but with an intent to cause reputational injury to the family of the CJI and eventually the judiciary”. Subsequent action was taken upon the complaint when the police registered an FIR to further investigate it.
Legal Provisions Invoked in the FIR
An FIR has been registered under several legal provisions, pointing to the gravity of the offense. These are as follows:
Section 356: Punishment for defamation: It deals with punishing a person or entity that defames any other person, especially in those cases where such defamation is meant to injure the reputation of public figures.
Section 217, Falsification of information against a public servant: Thus, this section punishes those who furnish false information with intent to defame a public servant. In the instant case, it was the wife of the Chief Justice.
Section 351, Threat to injure reputation: The impugned malicious post was meant to threaten the reputation of the wife of the CJI and, hence, the judiciary.
Section 61(2)(a) of the BNS 2023: This deals with criminal conspiracy, as the nature of the post seemed to be a collective move of circulating fake news.
Section 66(C) of the Information Technology Act 2000: This covers identity theft and misuse of electronic platforms in causing damage to the reputation of an individual, as in the post on social media.
Role of IFSO Unit in Investigation
In that respect, the IFSO unit is a specialized unit in dealing with cybercrimes and online offenses, and to which the matter was referred for necessary investigations. Its experts are capable of dealing with sophisticated digital crimes involving cyber defamation, misinformation, and misuse of social media.
The IFSO unit should trace the originator of the inflammatory post and investigate whether the defamatory content was, as a matter of fact, part of a larger campaign to sully the image of the judiciary. By then, the investigators were investigating too whether there was any conspiracy involving many people or entities in view of the fact that the spread of such a post on social media had been so far and wide.
Similar Incident in West Bengal
This is not an isolated incident, because just some weeks ago, a similar case came to light in West Bengal. A case was filed against a man for circulating fake news with the intention of defaming CJI DY Chandrachud. One Sujit Haldar from Fulbari was booked under charges for disseminating false news with the intention of creating distrust in the judiciary and breaching public peace.
West Bengal Police, condemnation of spreading fake news with a malafide intention to defame the judiciary was issued. It also warned that such attempts have the potential of disturbing peace and denting public confidence in the rule of law. A case in West Bengal thus underlined a new and growing menace of misinformation and defamation via social media channels aimed at influential figures like the Chief Justice of India.
Cyber Defamation on Rise
The latest incident is an indication of the emerging disturbing trend of attacking social media platforms against which even very public figures, institutions, are victims of revenge. In these days, cyber defamation has been a great concern where people seem to use digital platforms for spreading malicious, false, and defamatory content about others. Social media has made people anonymous, and it also means that the potential viral sharing of information has turned several of them into targeting well-known individuals in many cases through damaging their reputation with a view to shaking societal confidence.
It has not been able to evade the criticisms that the judiciary, as one of the structures of democracy, has had to bear. The orchestrated attacks on public personalities, particularly those of the stature of the Chief Justice, have only increased. Attacks do not only decimate persons but also can drain public confidence in such vital structures as the judiciary.
Implications of the Case
Filing the FIR against the defamatory post by Delhi Police at the level of the wife of CJI Chandrachud becomes necessary to look into the bigger issue of cyber defamation. It flags a loud and clear message that the authorities would come down with all their might on those who abuse social media networks for slandering public figures and disturbing social harmony.
The case also provides a view about the responsible use of social media. Sites Facebook, though granting space for free expression, often lead to misinformation and defamatory content that may spread quickly and have serious consequences. Where there is legal control, in the form of the IT Act and sections under the IPC that protect citizens from such harm, these enforcements become important in maintaining order and accountability online.
Conclusion
The registration of such an FIR by Delhi Police against the malicious social media post aimed at the wife of CJI DY Chandrachud was a very pivotal moment in fighting cyber defamation. Now, since the investigation is with the IFSO unit, immediate hopes can be entertained as far as bringing the perpetrators of this malicious act before the law are concerned. Incidents like these and the case in West Bengal have brought one back to the fact that, with increased digital lives, misinformation and defamatory content have turned serious. The judiciary forms an important aspect of democracy and hence protection from such attacks is required for not allowing public confidence to erode regarding its integrity and functioning.
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