Bombay HC gives split verdict in Fact Check Unit case

The bench has instructed its registry to present the pleas before chief justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya

- Priyanka Gawande

The Bombay High Court (HC) on Wednesday gave a split verdict on petitions challenging the amendments to the Information Technology Rules that allow the Centre to set up a ‘Fact Check Unit’ (FCU) to keep a tab on ‘fake news’ that are frequently spread on social media.

"There is a disagreement between us; we have passed separate judgments with divergent views. We were not able to concur," a division bench led by Justice G.S. Patel said. Justice Patel called the amendment ‘unconstitutional’ while Justice Neela Kedar Gokhale upheld the validity to the proposed amendments.