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Chennai: The Madras High Court on Monday restrained the central government from taking any coercive action against digital media firms under the new Cal Code created in the original Information Technology Act.
The first bench of Acting Chief Justice MN Bhandari and Justice PD Audikesvalu granted the injunction after a fresh Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Indian Broadcasters and Digital Media Foundation came up for hearing today.
“The defendants (Centre) are restrained from taking any coercive action without the permission of the court,” the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing on January 25.
The petition had challenged the provisions of the Information Technology (Intermediate Guidelines and Digital Media Code of Conduct) Rules, brought in in February this year.
Earlier, the petitioner’s senior counsel alleged that the Center was initiating punitive action as per the provisions of the rules, even though the Bombay High Court had granted an interim stay on the rules a few months back.
The Bombay High Court on August 14 this year had stayed the operation of sub-rules (1) and (3) of rule 9 of the said rules of 2021.
He said the Kerala High Court had also passed a similar order restraining the Center from taking any action.
Read also: New IT rules try to curb fake news, misuse of press freedom: Modi govt to Delhi HC
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