HC: Examine unblocking Cockroach Party's X handle

The Delhi High Court on July 5 declined to order the immediate unblocking of the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) X account, which was suspended by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. However, Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav directed a review committee to assess the case and deliver a decision by July 7. The court permitted CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke to appear virtually before the committee, emphasizing that if the panel determines the blocking was unjustified, it has the authority to reverse the decision. Notices were issued to the Indian government and X (formerly Twitter) to submit responses by the next hearing. Senior advocate Akhil Sibal, representing Dipke, argued that the CJP’s account contains only satire and that if specific tweets were objectionable, only those should be restricted rather than the entire account. The court instructed the committee to evaluate all aspects of the case before making a final ruling. The hearing follows Dipke’s petition challenging the account’s suspension under India’s IT Rules. The court’s decision hinges on whether the review committee finds sufficient grounds to overturn the blocking order.