Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has asked the Central government to explain why it is bringing in new IT laws without repealing the existing provisions that have been in force since 2009. The court asked what was the need to bring in new laws. The Bombay High Court was hearing a petition challenging the new IT rules.

Laws were enacted in 2009 under section 69A (1) of the IT Act. The court asked Additional Solicitor General Anil Singh, who appeared for the Center, why there was a need to bring in new laws that would not override existing laws. But Anil Singh said the Center needs new laws to check the spread of fake news and criminal content.

A bench of Chief Justice Deepankar Dutta and Justice GS Kulkarni asked the Center about the issue. The court heard a petition filed by news website The Leaflet and journalist Nikhil Wagle seeking an interim stay on the implementation of the new Information Technology (IT) rules.

The petitioners opined that the new laws were cruel and vague and warned that the implementation of the law would affect the freedom of expression of the citizens. The plaintiffs added that they feared that the law would lead to the imposition of unreasonable restrictions.

Content Highlights: What was needed; High Court Question Center on New IT Laws