Rajasthan police gets power to ban Net, SMS services

Rajasthan may soon have a law to deal with rumour-mongers on social media. With an aim to prevent the misuse of social media for disturbing peace and communal harmony, the state government is said to be planning to introduce a new tougher act to deal with trouble-makers.

Although the state home department had issued a guideline on Friday that gives the police power to ban Internet, SMS and mobile services for up to eight months to check rumour-mongers from spreading communal frenzy through social media like Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp, there is no specific law to deal with them.

Right now, the police can take action under Section 153 of the IPC and some sections of the Cyber Act but the maximum provision for jail under them is only three years. But the state government not only wants to increase the jail sentence but also feels that the current laws are not effective enough. It wants to give the police more powers and make it technically sound. The home department and the police have reportedly started working on the draft of the new bill. The matter of misuse of social media had been raised during the conference of collectors and SPs in July.

There have also been some incidents in different parts of the state in which such rumours created communal tension.

Till the new act comes into force, the new guideline by the home department gives the district collector and the SP power to ban social media, mobile and Internet services. Under Section 144 (1) of the CrPC, the district collector or the SP will be able to ban social media for two months, but they will have to seek permission from the state government to extend it. The ban period can be extended for another six months.

The guideline says that the SP or district collector can ask Internet or mobile service providers to ban the services if they feel that social media can create communal tension. The guideline also asks them for effective use of local media to keep a tab on communally sensitive information in order to control communal incidents efficiently.

They will also have to make a calendar of festivals, religious processions, fairs and incidents of caste and communal violence. The guideline also talks about keeping a close watch on cow smugglers and acts of religious conversion.