Court quashes FIR over WhatsApp emoji
Staff Reporter
Madurai, June 10, 2018 00:00 IST
BSNL official had complained against colleagues
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has quashed FIR proceedings initiated against BSNL employees over a WhatsApp emoji. A BSNL officer had complained that the employees had shared a ‘tears of joy’ emoji in a BSNL group, after she had posted a video on customers, to degrade her.
Justice S.S. Sundar, who had reserved verdict in the case in 2017, observed that the employees as well as the officer both belonged to the same office. Everyone has a right to express his or her feelings and share an idea. However, such an emoji ought not to have been posted in a group formed to promote team spirit. This might pay way for complications and frictions among members, the court said.
However, the court held that the no offence could be made out under Section 67 (Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act. 2000, Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998 and Section 3 of Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.“With the employees filing an affidavit expressing their regret, the matter shall rest here. The employees will be put to hardship if they are forced to face trial,” the court observed.
Vijayalakshmi, a BSNL Divisional Engineer of Thoothukudi, had complained that she had posted a video of customers sharing their grievance over the BSNL coverage.
However, some of the staff shared the ‘tears of joy’ emoji soon after the video was posted. She claimed that this was a move to degrade her. However, the employees contended that their reaction was only to show their disapproval over the video and not intended to harm her.
Staff Reporter
Madurai, June 10, 2018 00:00 IST
BSNL official had complained against colleagues
The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has quashed FIR proceedings initiated against BSNL employees over a WhatsApp emoji. A BSNL officer had complained that the employees had shared a ‘tears of joy’ emoji in a BSNL group, after she had posted a video on customers, to degrade her.
Justice S.S. Sundar, who had reserved verdict in the case in 2017, observed that the employees as well as the officer both belonged to the same office. Everyone has a right to express his or her feelings and share an idea. However, such an emoji ought not to have been posted in a group formed to promote team spirit. This might pay way for complications and frictions among members, the court said.
However, the court held that the no offence could be made out under Section 67 (Punishment for publishing or transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology Act. 2000, Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, 1998 and Section 3 of Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.“With the employees filing an affidavit expressing their regret, the matter shall rest here. The employees will be put to hardship if they are forced to face trial,” the court observed.
Vijayalakshmi, a BSNL Divisional Engineer of Thoothukudi, had complained that she had posted a video of customers sharing their grievance over the BSNL coverage.
However, some of the staff shared the ‘tears of joy’ emoji soon after the video was posted. She claimed that this was a move to degrade her. However, the employees contended that their reaction was only to show their disapproval over the video and not intended to harm her.
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