The Jharkhand High Court has mandated the immediate restoration of Internet services in the state. The court rebuked the Hemant Soren government for suspending the services during the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission-Combined Graduate Level (JSSC-CGL) examination on September 21 and 22. The court also stipulated that no Internet services could be suspended in the state without its permission from now on.
On September 20, Vandana Dadel, Principal Secretary of the Jharkhand Home Department, issued an order suspending Internet services statewide from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the examination dates. The suspension was aimed at preventing malpractice and the spread of rumors during the examination. The Jharkhand State Bar Council’s chairperson, Rajendra Krishna, challenged the suspension by writing to Acting Chief Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad.
This letter was converted into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). A Division Bench comprising Justices Ananda Sen and Anubha Rawat Choudhary oversaw the hearings.
high court mandates internet restoration
During the hearing, Mr. Krishna highlighted the disruption caused by the Internet suspension to commercial activities, including banking and transport. The Bench directed the government to submit its response within four weeks but did not prohibit the suspension for September 22.
However, late on September 21, it was announced through bulk messages that Internet services would be suspended from 4 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. the next day. On September 22, the High Court ordered the state government to restore Internet services immediately, which was done by 2 p.m. The order’s issuance was attended by the Principal Secretary of the Home Department and telecom service providers. In its order, the court expressed confusion and doubt over the state’s rationale for the suspension, especially given the conflicting notifications related to the timing of the Internet shutdown.
The court questioned how the service providers could be notified on the evening of September 21 about a decision purportedly made past midnight. The court ordered that no further suspensions of Internet services could be implemented without its approval until the writ petition’s resolution. The next hearing is scheduled for November 14, 2024.
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