New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday directed the Review Committee under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeiTY) to examine the plea filed by Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the satirical online movement ‘Cockroach Janata Party’, against the blocking of the group’s X account.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav issued notice in the matter while observing that the petitioner’s concerns could be reviewed under Rule 14 of the Information Technology Rules, which empowers the committee to revisit blocking directions and recommend restoration of accounts if required. The court asked the committee to consider the issues raised by the petitioner before the next hearing and permitted Dipke to appear virtually during the proceedings.
Senior Advocate Akhil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the account had been blocked without granting Dipke an opportunity to be heard. He contended that the movement was rooted in satire and that neither the petitioner nor the court had been provided with the actual blocking order.
The Centre opposed the submissions through Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma. The court, however, noted that the legality of the action would be examined after the government files its response within four weeks.
During the hearing, Sibal maintained that if certain posts were considered objectionable, individual tweets could remain restricted, but the entire account should not remain inaccessible. Referring to previous cases involving social media suspensions, he submitted that courts had earlier directed restoration of accounts while allowing specific content to stay blocked.
Justice Kaurav observed that the legal framework governing such online restrictions was still evolving and stated that the matter involved broader implications. The court also remarked that neither the petitioner nor the bench had yet seen the blocking order, as only a communication regarding the suspension had been placed on record.
The court pointed to the review mechanism available under the IT Rules, saying the committee could examine whether the blocking order deserved to be withdrawn. It further indicated that the petitioner’s request for access to the material relied upon by authorities could also be considered by the committee.
Sibal also informed the court that Dipke was currently outside India and had allegedly received death threats, seeking permission for him to attend proceedings virtually or authorise a representative to appear physically on his behalf.
The ‘Cockroach Janata Party’ emerged as a satirical social media campaign after oral remarks made by the Chief Justice of India during a hearing, where the term “cockroaches” was used in reference to individuals allegedly misusing online activism. The CJI later clarified that the comment was aimed at people possessing fake degrees. Soon after gaining traction online and attracting millions of followers, the social media accounts linked to the movement were suspended.
Earlier this week, the Chief Justice had orally remarked that the issue should not be taken too emotionally when a lawyer sought urgent listing of the plea concerning the blocked accounts.
The matter is now scheduled to be heard on July 7.
