Summary:
Chennai, Sep 16 (PTI) The Madras High Court on Thursday held that any penal action taken under certain sections of the new IT Rules will be subject to the final orders to be passed on a batch of PIL petitions challenging the same.
"If there is any action taken in terms of Rule 3 of the said Rules read with Rule 7 thereof during the interregnum, it will abide by the result of the petitions and further orders herein," the first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice P D Audikesavalu said.
The bench was passing interim orders on a batch of PIL petitions from carnatic musician T M Krishna, Digital Publishes Association and another individual, challenging the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules introduced in February this year.
The petitioners contended that the new rules are ultra vires, inter alia, Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution.
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, the bench pointed out.
The petitioners in particular referred to Rule 9 of the said Rules, pertaining to observance and adherence to the Code.