Delhi Police has written a formal letter to X (formerly Twitter) demanding urgent action on a complaint alleging that the platform is being used to spread offensive, malicious and defamatory content targeting people holding constitutional posts.
What police have asked X to do
The letter lists five separate demands. First, the platform must immediately take down the post or video named in the complaint. Second, X must hand over complete details of the account holder who posted the content, including their full name, address, contact details and email ID, along with a full record of login and logout activity carrying exact time and date stamps. Third, any other information relevant to the investigation must also be shared. Fourth, all data linked to the alleged post or video must be preserved for future use so that evidence is not lost.
A certificate under Section 63(4) of the BSA
The fifth demand asks for a certificate under Section 63(4) of the BSA, the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. This provision is what makes digital evidence admissible in court, meaning the preserved data could later be used as legal evidence if the case proceeds further.
Not the first such case
This is not the first time strict action has followed defamatory content aimed at public figures on social media. In recent months, a court directed the Aam Aadmi Party and Saurabh Bhardwaj to take down a defamatory video against Bansuri Swaraj, ruling that freedom of expression cannot be used as cover for defamation. In a separate case, a court similarly held that freedom of speech on social media is not a license to run defamation or malicious campaigns.
