SC to hear plea challenging blocking of YouTube channel '4PM' on May 13

Supreme Court to hear plea challenging blocking of '4PM' YouTube channel on May 13, citing national security concerns.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a plea seeking quashing of an order blocking YouTube channel '4PM' on May 13.

The apex court on May 5 sought responses from the Centre and others on the plea filed by Sanjay Sharma, the editor of digital news platform '4PM', which has a subscriber base of 73 lakh.

Also Read | Over 8,000 X accounts blocked in India; The Wire says will challenge site blocking

The plea claimed that the blocking was effected by the intermediary pursuant to an undisclosed direction allegedly issued by the Centre citing "vague" grounds of "national security" and "public order".

As per the top court's cause list for May 13, the plea is slated to come up for hearing before a bench of justices B R Gavai and Augustine George Masih.

The plea claimed that the blocking was a "chilling assault on journalistic independence" and the right of public to receive information.

The petition, filed through advocate Talha Abdul Rahman, said no blocking order or underlying complaint was furnished to the petitioner, violating both statutory and constitutional safeguards.