Madras High Court transfers cases against IT, Cable TV Rules to Delhi High Court

The Madras High Court on Tuesday (November 12, 2024) transferred to the Delhi High Court two writ petitions filed jointly by Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation and Sun TV Network Limited, challenging certain provisions of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules of 2021.

A Division Bench of Justices M. Sundar and K. Rajasekar directed the Madras High Court Registrar General to transfer the cases, also challenging some provisions of the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules of 2021, to the Delhi High Court forthwith, in light of the orders passed by the Supreme Court.

The petitioners’ counsel Rahul Balaji brought it to the notice of the Division Bench two orders passed by the Supreme Court on March 22, 2204, and July 23, 2024, to club all the cases filed against the 2021 Rules before various High Courts in the country and getting them heard together by the Delhi High Court.

Therefore, he requested the Bench to order the transfer of the two writ petitions pending in the Madras High Court since 2021 to the Delhi High Court. Acceding to his request, the judges ordered that the case bundles related to the two petitions must be transferred forthwith to the Delhi High Court along with a covering letter.