Fake news menace: SC dismisses review petition of lawyer

New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): The Supreme Court had recently dismissed a review petition filed by lawyer Anuja Kapur seeking a direction to revisit its earlier order and pass appropriate directions or guidelines to the Union of India (UOI) to frame rules to stop circulation and publication of fake news in social media platforms and other networking sites.
"We have carefully gone through the review petition and the connected papers filed therewith. We do not find any ground, whatsoever, to entertain the same. The review petition (filed by lawyer Anuja Kapur) is, accordingly, dismissed," a three-judge bench of the Apex Court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde, and also comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao and Sanjiv Khanna, said.
The review petition was filed before the Supreme Court in April last year, in connection with fake news menace seeking a direction from the top court to revisit its April 8, 2019, order, which had first dismissed her petition on the issue.
Advocate Kapur, in her petition, sought a direction from the apex court to grant her an oral hearing on the present petition and pass any such further orders as this court may deem fit.
She also stated in her review petition that the top court should revisit its earlier order of April 8 in which it had dismissed her petition stating that there is no merit in her plea.
Kapur had also knocked the doors of the apex court seeking directions or guidelines to the Union of India (UOI) to frame rules to stop circulation and publication of fake news in social media platforms and other networking sites.
"Fake news is a menace. It should be stopped. Thereby, the top court should pass appropriate guidelines as soon as possible on the issue. The Apex Court should direct the UOI to frame rules to stop fake news and circulating fake news," the petition read.
Initially, a three judge bench of the apex court, headed by CJI (Retired) Ranjan Gogoi, had in its April 8, 2019, order dismissed her petition noting that the writ petition was devoid of merits.
Following this order, Anuja Kapur had filed a review petition before the top court and had challenged this order. (ANI)