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Criminal defamation should be retained as a penal offence: Centre to SC

by IBNS 13 Jul 2015, 09:39 am

New Delhi, Jul 13 (IBNS) Denying that defamation has any effect on free speech, the government has told the Supreme Court that the provision for defamation should be retained in the Indian Penal Code as a deterrent against defamatory actions.

The apex court said that a mechanism to censor content online was needed and so the provision should remain.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in its affidavit has said there is  a need for retaining Sections 499 and 500 of the IPC, also because of the growing tendency to defame people through social media.

The Centre's submission came in response to the Supreme Court notice on a batch of petitions filed by political leaders including Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy and AAP convener and Delhi Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal, challenging the constitutional validity of penal provisions on defamation