UP Police Cyber Cell asks TwoCircles.net to remove 2011 story abt Maha police
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: At a time when social media and alternate media are proving to be a rightful check to spread awareness about issues not covered by main stream media, police are making a hue and cry about the information access that it gives to the common man.
And section 66 of the Information Technology (IT) Act is just the weapon that police and the government authorities have been found using – rather misusing – time and again. We at TwoCircles.net got a taste of the police high handedness upfront when Uttar Pradesh police took cudgels on behalf of its Maharashtra counterparts.
The Cyber Cell of the Uttar Pradesh Police has sent a notice to TwoCircles.net directing to remove a 2011 ‘follow up’ story related to the alleged pregnancy of a trainee constable in Maharashtra. The January 20, 2014 letter – by one Ashok Kumar Verma, Nodal Officer, Cyber Crime Unit, Cyber Crime Enforcement Agency, Lucknow – said they had received a complaint that someone is “trying to defame the dignity of Police Department” … (and) … “has posted the objectionable, fake, baseless and defamatory content.”
The story that the UP Police don’t want TwoCircles.net readers to read is about allegations by young recruits at the Kolhapur Police Training Academy in Maharashtra who got pregnant after they were coerced into physical relationship with trainer/s. The then Kolhapur MP Sadashiv Rao Mandalik had raked it up and other media houses (Read NDTV story here: ) had carried it too.
Claiming that “the reputation of Police Department is being hurted (sic)”, the notice called the content (of TCN story) as “baseless and defamatory” and something that is “a crime under section 66 (of) Information Technology Act.”
Reacting to the UP Police letter, Kashif-ul-Huda, Editor of TwoCircles.net, said: “On the one hand it is heartening to see that police is bothered about the ‘reputation’, even if it is not their own, but for Maharashtra police. But on the other hand, we find it amusing that in the age of terror threats and misuse of internet for serious and real defamations, the UP police is worried about alleged crimes by men in uniform.”
“Using section 66 of the IT Act to scare off news websites is a gross violation of the Freedom of Press. I am sure, Indian readers, especially those who value the freedom vis-à-vis social and alternate media, will ensure that no such curbs are put on the Freedom of the Press,” he added.
Although we are consulting our lawyers, let us assure the TwoCircles.net readers that we will continue to do stories which expose the system. Incidentally, this is not the first time that TwoCircles.net has received a notice from police. In March, 2014, Mumbai Police had sent a similar notice to TCN demanding removal of article against Mumbai Police top cop.
We are sure we will get continued support from our valued readers.