SC notice to DoT seeking response on how to block child pornography

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Telecom Department seeking a response on how to block child pornography.

The apex court had earlier made it clear that the government will have to take steps to block porn sites particularly those showing child pornography. "Nothing, you have to do it," a bench headed by Justice BS Chauhan had said when Additional Solicitor General KV Viswanathan sought time to file response on a plea for blocking such sites in the country.

On July 12, the apex court had granted four weeks time to the Centre to devise a mechanism to block such sites.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Indore-based advocate Kamlesh Vaswani who pleaded that although watching obscene videos is not an offence, pornographic sites should be banned as they are one of the major causes for crime against women.

Advocate Vijay Panjwani, appearing for the petitioner, submitted that the Centre has failed to devise mechanism to block the Internet sites and absence of Internet laws encourage people to watch porn videos and as it is not an offence.

The petition alleged that over 20 crore porn videos or clippings are freely available in the market, which are directly been downloaded through Internet or other video CDs.

"The sexual content that kids are accessing today is far more graphic, violent, brutal, deviant and destructive and has put entire society in danger so also safety threats to public order in India.

"The petitioner most respectfully submits that most of the offences committed against women/girls/children are fuelled by pornography. The worrying issue is the severity and gravity of the images are increasing. It is a matter of serious concern that prepubescent children are being raped," it said.

"At best, the IPC only recognises the offences of obscenity, kidnapping, abduction, and other related offences which are not sufficient to tackle the issue of pornography, and such videos," it said, adding that watching and sharing obscene videos should be made non-bailable and cognisable offence.

(With additional inputs from PTI)