MHA to states: Order police not to lodge cases under scrapped Section 66A of IT Act

New Delhi

The Centre on Wednesday asked the states to direct their police not to register cases under the repealed Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 related to posting online comments. The SC in 2015 had struck down the controversial Section 66A of the IT Act that made posting “offensive” comments online a crime punishable by jail, after a long campaign by defen­ders of free speech. However, recently, the SC had said it was shocking the judgment striking down the law has not been implemented even now. The MHA has requested states and UTs to direct all police stations under their jurisdiction not to register cases under the repealed Section 66A of the IT Act, 2000, a home ministry statement said.