Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Oct 22: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to former Twitter India Managing Director Manish Maheshwari in connection with the Uttar Pradesh government’s appeal against a Karnataka High Court order.
UP police’s notice requesting Maheshwari’s appearance for a probe into a communally sensitive video uploaded by a user on the microblogging site had been put aside by the decision. The notice was issued by a bench led by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana.
After an FIR was filed against Twitter India and eight others on June 16 over a widely shared video showing an elderly man Abdul Samad being assaulted and forced to chant “Jai Shri Ram” and “Vande Mataram” near Delhi, the UP Police summoned the former Managing Director of the social media website for questioning. Maheshwari was accused of plotting a disturbance, inciting hatred, and criminal conspiracy.
Manish Maheshwari, a Bengaluru resident, told the Karnataka High Court that he had offered himself for questioning through video conference, but the police had declined and insisted that he attend in person. He stated that he was willing to appear before the UP Police if they guaranteed that he would not be arrested.
“I am ready to appear before the police in Ghaziabad within 24 hours if the UP Police gives the court an undertaking that they would not arrest me,” his counsel had added on Maheshwari’s behalf. On June 24, the Karnataka High Court gave him temporary arrest protection and stated that the UP Police could not conduct “coercive measures” against him.
The UP police subsequently appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court. Maheshwari has also petitioned the court, requesting that they listen to his side of the storey before making any decisions on the UP Police’s appeal.
