Supreme Court Warns Against Social Media's Impact on Fair Trials

New Delhi, તા.21: The Supreme Court has expressed serious displeasure over the contagious tendency of every person with a mobile phone to spontaneously become media and upload sensitive videos instantly. The bench of CJI Surya Kant observed that when blood is spilled on the road, people instead of helping, are busy taking out cameras and creating content. The court made it clear that this digital trial on social media is a big threat to the right of the accused to a fair trial, as prejudice is created in the minds of the public even before the truth is out. The court particularly took note of the practice of uploading photos and videos of the accused on social media handles by the police department. Justice Bagchi noted that such acts of the police create a prejudice among the public that the arrested person is the culprit, but when they are acquitted, the judiciary is defamed. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta also termed some elements active on social media as blackmailers. The court has given strict digital press guidelines to the police during the trial to maintain a strict digital balance between the dignity of the accused and transparency in the investigation.