Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 11 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday issued a notice to the Delhi Police on a petition filed against summons issued by a trial court to 21 websites, including Facebook, Google, Yahoo and YouTube, for allegedly hosting obscene and derogatory content.

The move came as Facebook and Google approached the high court, challenging the trial court’s order.

Justice Suresh Kait also issued notice to Vinay Rai who had filed the petition in the trial court against the websites alleging they were hosting obscene and derogatory content.

Senior counsel Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for Google, said that third parties were uploading the contents, not Google.

“It is the third party who is uploading the content, not me. I am a passive provider, and so I cannot be held liable in the case,” he argued.

He further argued that people who were actually doing it are not being made party in the case.

Siddhartha Luthra, appearing for Facebook told the court that materials were not offensive as far as Facebook (India) was concerned.

Meanwhile, Rai’s counsel said: “By showing objectionable material, they (the websites) are earning in crores. Every time people click the content, the website earns the money. These firangis are spreading cultural terrorism in the country.”

The magistrate of the trial court had observed that the material submitted by the complainant contained obscene pictures and derogatory articles pertaining to various Hindu deities, Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ.

The trial court had also directed the central government to take immediate and appropriate steps on the objectionable content of the sites and file its report by Jan 13.

The matter will come up Thursday for further hearing.