New Delhi: Twitter has informed the Delhi High Court that the parents of nine-year-old minor victim allegedly gang-raped and murdered in Delhi Cantt area, approved to sharing of their image by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on the social media platform.
As per legal news website Live Law, Twitter has filed an affidavit in the plea seeking action against Rahul Gandhi for allegedly disclosing sensitive details and publishing photographs of the
minor victim.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had issued a letter in August last year, asking Twitter to remove the tweet for being in violation of Section 74 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Section 23 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.
In an email written by Twitter to the Commission dated August 13, 2021, the microblogging site told thus: "…we have now received confirmation that the minor child's parents had approved the sharing of image on twitter. We are however in response to your legal request, withholding the reported content in India under our assessment of the applicable local law(s), which we do acknowledge disallows disclosure of such information, including the referencing of parents of the victim, which cannot be disclosed under authorisation."
It has further been informed that while Rahul Gandhi's account was restored, the reported content continues to be withheld.
"The act of uploading tweets on the platform hosted by the Answering Respondent happens in real time and almost instantaneously. It is submitted that the Answering Respondent does not publish, review or approve the tweets uploaded by its users prior to being posted. It is the author of the tweet who is the publisher thereof, and not the intermediary. In this case, it is Respondent No.1 who is allegedly the author of the tweet," the affidavit adds.
It also seeks directions on the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to take appropriate legal action against Gandhi.