NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court, on Thursday (July 06), refused to entertain a plea that was filed against internet suspensions in the violence-affected Northeast state of Manipur.
While rejecting to hear the plea, the Supreme Court stated that the Manipur high court is already considering the matter.
The plea was turned down by a Supreme Court bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud and justices PS Narasimha and Manoj Mishra.
“The division bench is seized of the matter. Why don’t you move the high court? Because the moment we issue notice, high court will stop looking into the matter,” the Supreme Court bench told advocate Shadan Farasat, who was appearing for the petitioners.
The petition was filed in the Supreme Court by two Manipur residents – Chongtham Victor Singh, a lawyer, and Mayengbam James, a businessmen.
It may be mentioned here that the Manipur high court, last month, had directed the Biren Singh-led BJP government in the state to partially restore internet service in the violence-hit state.
The Manipur high court directed the state government to provide limited internet services to the citizens of the state at designated places.
The direction was passed by justices Ahanthem Bimol Singh and A Guneswar Sharma of the Manipur high court while hearing a batch of public interest litigations (PILs).
The PILs were filed at the Manipur high court seeking restoration of internet services in the state.
“Taking into consideration the hardship faced by the public, especially with regard to the ongoing admission process of the students in the state and to enable the public for carrying out their urgent and essential services, the state authorities are directed to provide limited internet service to the public in some designated places under the controlled of the state authorities,” the Manipur high court order stated.
It was on May 3, that the Manipur government had first suspended internet services in the state, including broadband.
It may be mentioned here that Manipur has been on the boil since May 3 after clashes broke out between two communities in state and subsequent large-scale violence.
Nearly 150 people lost their lives and thousands of people were displaced following the clashes and subsequent violence in the state.