SC dismisses plea seeking directions for implementation of internet shutdown guidelines

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a plea seeking directions for enforcement of its guidelines on state-imposed internet shutdowns.

A bench of Justices B.R. Gavai, Dipankar Datta, and Aravind Kumar said that disposed of matter cannot be reopened by way of filing civil applications.

It remarked that it should have not issued notice on the miscellaneous application and told petitioners that there exists other remedies in case its verdict is not being enforced.

It told petitioners that the apex court has become functus officio after a judgment has been delivered.

Sensing the disclination of the bench to not entertain the plea, liberty was sought to permit withdrawal. Accordingly, the top court dismissed the application as withdrawn.

Senior advocate Nakul Dewan and advocates Vrinda Bhandari and Prateek Chadha appeared on petitioner’s behalf before the Supreme Court.

In its judgment rendered in the Anuradha Bhasin case, the top court had said that the internet cannot be suspended unnecessarily and held that the "access to internet" enjoys constitutional protection under the fundamental rights. It had laid down 15 directions mainly focussed on addressing issues impeding access to internet after pleas were filed against restrictions imposed in erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir on access to the internet after the revocation of provisions of Article 370.