In an order handed on July 12, a department bench of Justices Vinay Joshi and Valmiki SA MenezesSaid that the aim of WhatsApp standing is to put across a message to different customers within the touch listing.
The bench additional famous that customers incessantly stay checking the WhatsApp standing in their contacts.
The court docket brushed aside the petition filed through 27-year-old Landkar in search of to quash the F.I.R. lodged in opposition to him for allegedly hurting or offending non secular sentiment or religion. Landkar was once additionally charged with provisions of the Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the Information Technology Act.
The court docket mentioned, “WhatsApp standing could be a image or video of what you’re doing, considering or one thing you’ve observed, which disappears after 24 hours. The very goal of WhatsApp standing is to put across one thing to an individual’s contacts. It is not anything however a style of verbal exchange with recognized individuals.
What the FIR is set
In March 2023, Landkar allegedly uploaded his WhatsApp standing with a religiously offensive submit. In this submit, he wrote a query and requested the audience to go looking for a similar on Google to get surprising effects. When the complainant searched Google for the query he famous that objectionable subject matter outraging non secular emotions have been proven as effects.
The accused claimed that he wasn’t aspiring to or intentionally displayed the standing to outrage the sentiments of any non secular staff. He additionally discussed that had no aim to unfold hatred as WhatsApp standing may also be observed simplest through those that have stored the choice of the opposite individual. In its order, the bench mentioned the WhatsApp standing uploaded through the accused provoked others to do a Google seek and skim what the accused individual sought after them to look.
“The applicant can’t shed his duty through announcing the WhatsApp standing is restricted move. There isn’t any justification for the applicant to show this type of standing,” the HC mentioned.