Shillong, August 20: The Supreme Court, while dismissing the petition filed by actor and former Tamil Nadu MLA S Ve Shekher, who is facing charges for sharing a Facebook post in 2018 containing alleged derogatory remarks against women journalists, emphasized the need for social media users to be mindful of its influence and outreach.
As per news agency PTI, Justices BR Gavai and P K Mishra, presiding over the case, considered Shekher’s appeal against the Madras High Court’s July 14 verdict that denied his request to annul criminal proceedings linked to the post in question. The bench advised the petitioner’s representative, “When utilizing social media, individuals should exercise greater vigilance concerning its repercussions and scope.”
The petitioner’s counsel argued that Shekher’s inability to read the post’s contents was due to an eye treatment he had undergone on the incident day. The bench underlined the necessity of cautious social media use and stated that those who choose to engage with it must be prepared for potential consequences.
The high court’s prior ruling mentioned Shekher’s alleged act of “publishing/circulating an abusive, derogatory, and vulgar comment on his Facebook account” on April 19, 2018. An FIR was filed, and additional private complaints emerged from various parts of Tamil Nadu. Shekher’s attorney contended that he had forwarded the message unknowingly and removed it within hours, followed by an apology to the concerned women journalists and the media.
The high court noted that the forwarded content demeaned women journalists and the press in Tamil Nadu, describing it as highly derogatory and reprehensible.
