The Supreme Court may have struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, but a person posting offensive posts can still end up in jail.
Section 66A was a bailable offence but it was the invoking of other sections of IPC such as 153 and 505, by the police, led to the arrests, reports The Times of India.
Sections 153 and 153A provide for imprisonment from 6 months to one year along with a fine for anyone who issues a statement that incites communal tension. Section 505 addresses public disorder caused by such statements and carries with it imprisonment of up to 3 years.
Former telecom minister Kapil Sibal, who had defended 66A, said the challenge before the country was the discretion provided to the Police in registering a case under IPC provisions, reported The Times of India.
(Published 25 March 2015, 07:18 IST)
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