SC refuses to interfere with order on limited restoration of internet in Manipur

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to interfere with the Manipur High Court's order for limited restoration of the internet in the violence-hit state.

A bench of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasinha and Manoj Misra granted the Manipur government liberty to approach the high court and inform it about the difficulties that it would face in implementing the order.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Manipur government, said that the internet issue can be left on the discretion of the government as it is sometime open and sometimes not. 

The bench, however, said the state government can point out its difficulties to the high court, which is already seized of the matter.

Mehta, however, expressed apprehension with regard to coercive action against officials on non-compliance of the high court order. 

Also Read | Naga areas in Manipur shuts down to protest against killing of a woman, police say action being taken

"We are always here,” the bench told Mehta, allowing the state government to move the high court. 

The Manipur High Court had, earlier this month, directed the state government to carry out physical trials to check the feasibility of providing internet service to mobile phones while ensuring the security of life and property of citizens. 

The court sought a detailed report and fixed the matter for consideration on July 25. 

"In the case of Fibre To The Home (FTTH) connections Internet service can be provided by the home department on a case to case basis," the High Court had directed while directing to ensure compliance of the safeguards suggested by the committee.

The 12-member expert committee had informed the court that internet service could be provided through broadband connections, either through Internet Leased Line (ILL) or FTTH by ensuring "static IP, banning of Wifi/Hotspots from any of the routers or system, blocking of social media websites and VPNs at the local level, removal of VPN software from the system and prohibiting the installation of new software by any user and enforcing physical monitoring by the authority/officials concerned."