The Supreme Court held that a state government can suspend mobile internet service in special circumstances, including a threat to law and order, while confirming the Gujarat High Court order, which allowed such a move during the Patel quota agitation.

A bench of Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice R Banumathi rejected a contention by advocate Apar Gupta appearing for petitioner Gaurav Sureshbhai Vyas, who claimed that prohibitory orders issued under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code cannot be extended to mobile internet services as there is special Telegraph Act to deal with it.

The bench said there can be concurrent power and sometimes it becomes necessary to impose such a ban due to law and order situation.

Did You Know???

• Social networking giant Facebook shut down its controversial Free Basics programme in India, days after telecom regulator TRAI barred operators from charging differential rates for Internet access based on content.
• The service was offered in India in partnership with Reliance Communications and was earlier known as Internet.org.
• Earlier, the TRAI had asked the RCom to put on hold the services till it announced decision on differential pricing.