Kumar Nayan v. Union of India & Anr.

Delhi High Court · 06 Apr 2026 · 2026:DHC:2914
Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav
W.P.(C) 4377/2026
2026:DHC:2914
administrative petition_allowed Significant

AI Summary

The Delhi High Court directed restoration of the petitioner's social media account and mandated procedural compliance under IT Rules, 2009 for blocking online content pending Review Committee adjudication.

Full Text
Translation output
W.P.(C) 4377/2026
HIGH COURT OF DELHI
W.P.(C) 4377/2026
Date of Decision: 06.04.2026 IN THE MATTER OF:
KUMAR NAYAN .....Petitioner
Through: Mr. Apar Gupta, Mr. Nakul Gandhi, Ms. Indumugi C., Mr. Naman Kumar, Ms. Avanti Deshpande, Ms. Siddhi Sahoo, Advocates
VERSUS
UNION OF INDIA & ANR. .....Respondents
Through: Mr. Chetan Sharma, ASG with Ms Akanksha Gupta (SPC) with Ms Priya
Shankar, Advocate for UOI.
Mr. Ankit Parhar, Mr. Tejpal Singh Rathore, Mr. Abhishek Kumar, Ms. Tanish Gupta, Ms. Sanchli Sethi, Advocates for R-2/ X Corp.
CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE PURUSHAINDRA KUMAR KAURAV
J U D G E M E N T
PURUSHAINDRA KUMAR KAURAV, J. (ORAL)
CM APPL. 21383/2026 (EXEMPTION)
CM APPL. 21384/2026 (EXEMPTION)
KUMAR KAURAV
JUDGMENT

1. Exemptions allowed, subject to all just exceptions.

2. Application stands disposed of. W.P.(C) 4377/2026 and CM APPL. 21382/2026 (INTERIM RELIEF)

3. This Court vide an order passed on even date dealt with an almost similar lis in Prateek Sharma v. Union of India and Ors.[1] The submissions made by the petitioner and the respondents are also, largely, the same.

4. The same directions, are, therefore being passed, which are as under:

(i) Let the petitioner to approach the Review Committee[2] and furnish necessary details to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (“MeitY”) regarding his identity;

(ii) On doing so, subject to verification, let MeitY to intimate the petitioner what the allegedly objectionable tweets are and to also provide the blocking order vide which the said tweets were directed to be blocked. Let respondent no. 2-X Corp. (“X”) to temporary block/suspend the same subject to adjudication by the Review Committee;

(iii) Subject to the aforenoted tweets being temporarily blocked/suspended, let the petitioner’s X account be restored immediately.

(iv) The MeitY shall be at liberty to monitor the material posted on the petitioner’s X account and, in case, any objectionable material is posted, it shall be at liberty to take appropriate recourse in accordance with law. W.P.(C) 4040/2026. Established under Rule 14 of the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards For Blocking For Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009.

5. With the aforesaid directions, the petition, along with pending application, stands disposed of.

6. All rights and contentions of the parties are left open.

JUDGE APRIL 6, 2026/aks.