The Supreme Court on Friday said that the Jammu and Kashmir administration must review all restrictive orders imposed within a week, observing that internet suspension without “any particular duration and indefinitely” is a violation of Telecom Rules.
Delivering its judgment on petitions challenging the restrictions on movement and communication imposed on Kashmir after the Centre’s August 5 move to dilute Article 370 and revoke J&K’s special status, the apex court said that freedom of internet is a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a).
The court asked the J&K administration to publish every order of restriction under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) to enable those affected by them to challenge it. The bench of Justices N.V. Ramana, B.R. Gavai and R. Subhash Reddy also added that any order passed will be subject to judicial review.
The court also observed that trade and commerce are dependent on the internet, and the freedom to practice such trade is constitutionally protected under Article 19(1)(g).
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