‘No Interim Relief’: Delhi HC to The Quint’s Plea on IT Rules 2021

The Delhi HC bench said that it would re-notify the application for interim relief for hearing by the roster bench.

The Quint on 19 March 2021 had moved the Delhi High Court, challenging the regulation of digital news portals under the newly released Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

(Photo: The Quint)

The vacation bench of the Delhi High Court on Monday, 28 June, said that it was prima facie not inclined to grant any interim relief on applications by The Quint and The Wire for action against them for non-compliance with the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021.

The bench, led by Justices C Hari Shankar and Subramonium Prasad, said that it would re-notify the applications for interim relief for hearing by the roster bench.

“The matter is pending before the regular division bench, no stay was granted. They are only implementing the notification on which there is no stay. There is no question of interim relief.”

Justices C Hari Shankar and Subramonium Prasad, Delhi High Court

The Quint on 19 March had moved the Delhi High Court, challenging the regulation of digital news portals under the IT Rules 2021.

Calling the regulation of digital news under the IT Act framework "unconstitutional", the petitioner organisation believed that the new rules have a “chilling effect on media freedom”.

Earlier, the Kerala High Court provided interim protection to LiveLaw India from any coercive action under Part III of the rules. This decision came just days after the Delhi High Court had issued a notice in a similar plea moved by The Wire.