Trouble mounts for Twitter as police register more FIRs

Twitter is facing further trouble with law enforcement agencies in the country as police in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi registered cases against it for distorting the Indian map and for the availability of child pornography material on the micro-blogging site, and the Madhya Pradesh government directing its officials to take action.

The registration of the cases came as the social media giant is said to have lost immunity from criminal proceedings after the appointment of a US-based grievance officer following the resignation of one based in India in violation of the new Information Technology Rules.

Uttar Pradesh Police registered the case for distortion of Indian map in Bulandshahr, while Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra directed the state police chief Vivek Johri to register a case.

Acting on a complaint by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Delhi Police's Cyber Cell registered a case under POCSO Act and IT Act against Twitter citing availability of links and material pertaining child exploitation. The case is against Twitter Inc and Twitter India.

Also read: UP govt moves SC against Karnataka HC's protection to Twitter MD

The actions by police in three states came on a day Uttar Pradesh Police approached the Supreme Court seeking to quash Karnataka High Court directive not to take cooercive action against Twitter India Managing Director Manish Maheshwari in connection with a case of a controversial video on the attack on an elderly man posted on the website.

The UP Police registered a case against Twitter following a complaint by a Bajrang Dal leader under Section 505(2) of Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of Information and Technology Act.

The Madhya Pradesh govt said, "something or other has been going on continuously against the country for a long time. Sometimes unrestrained words are spoken against Bharat Mata and sometimes a wrong map of the country is displayed on Twitter. These issues cannot be taken lightly. The governments at the Centre and the state have taken it seriously."

Also Read | Twitter removes distorted India map after uproar

Mishra said such incidents of speaking against or doing something against 'Bharat Mata' (Mother India) are on the rise.

Twitter had landed in trouble after the distorted map appeared on the career section of the Twitter website under the header 'Tweep Life'.

Last October, Twitter had depicted Leh in Ladakh as part of China, prompting the government to issue a warning to the micro-blogging site.