The Delhi High Court issued a notice on January 11 on a case brought by Aarti Tikoo, the founder of ‘The New Indian,’ contesting Twitter’s decision to lock her account. Tikoo’s account was locked by the social media giant after she highlighted that Islamists in Kashmir are sending death threats to her brother.
Justice Rekha Palli requested a response from the Centre and Twitter Inc., while also providing three weeks to file a counter-affidavit in the issue. Another two weeks have been set up for the filing of the rebuttal.
According to the plea, on December 14, 2021, Tikoo’s brother Sahil took part in a Twitter Space conversation in which he was referred to as an “Indian Agent” and other accusations were levelled against him.
The next day, Tikoo posted: “My brother who lives in Srinagar, being openly threatened by jihadi terrorists sitting in Kashmir-India & their handlers in Pakistan, UK & US. Is anyone watching? Are we sitting ducks waiting to be shot dead by Islamists or will you crack down on them?”
Quite clear @Twitter @TwitterIndia is allowing Pakistan sponsored terrorists to use @TwitterSpaces for terror related activities, to threaten Indians & to hatch conspiracies to kill Kashmiri Hindus like @TikooSahil_ in Kashmir. India @GoI_MeitY @MIB_India is sleeping & paralysed. pic.twitter.com/E2lcSIjYt2
— Aarti Tikoo (@AartiTikoo) December 15, 2021
Following this, Twitter locked her account on the same day.
Tikoo has said in her appeal, referring to the transcripts of the threats given to her cousin on Twitter, that Twitter’s conduct of freezing her account is a violation of Articles 14, 19, and 21 since it is an infringement on her right to free expression and is arbitrary.
In December, Aarti Tikoo Singh had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against Twitter, requesting that the government safeguard her fundamental right to free expression and life. According to the petition filed by counsel Mukesh Sharma, the way in which her brother was attacked by several participants was reminiscent of January 1990. According to the petition, she was astonished to see that Twitter had sent her a warning for this Tweet, stating that it violated their Rules on Hateful Conduct.
