A Rajasthan High Court advocate has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking contempt action against the state government for not following the apex court’s directions on internet shutdowns in the Anuradha Bhasin case, according to a report by LiveLaw. The petitioner Chhaya Rani has also highlighted how the internet shutdown affected judicial work and access to justice, among other disruptions. The petitioner states that the internet shutdown order was passed in apprehension of cheating and malpractice during exams, which is “vague and arbitrary” indicating the “incompetence” of the concerned authorities, including the Rajasthan Public Service Commission. “There remains no evidence or assurance that the imposition of the internet shutdown would achieve the purpose that it seeks to achieve which is the prevention of cheating and malpractice in the scheduled examination. On the contrary, such imposition has affected the citizens at large and has impacted the access to justice, right to carry the profession, and right to freedom of speech and expression through the internet,” the plea adds. Curious to know what happened in Rajasthan in the last few days? We have covered it in detail here. According to the LiveLaw report, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud has agreed to take up the matter after the Holi holiday. Why it matters: The arbitrary use of internet suspension powers by Indian authorities without any checks and balances for unwarranted situations has been reiterated multiple times by internet rights groups in India and global platforms. Even the Parliament has looked into it,…
