Madras HC seeks response on plea to investigate Saurav Das’s identity, block his social media accounts

Chennai: The Madras High Court on Friday issued notice on a plea seeking an investigation into the identity and background of journalist and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Das, including his parents, and cancellation of his passport and Aadhaar card if the allegations are established.

The petition, titled Ganesh Kumar v Regional Passport Officer, seeks cancellation of the passport and Aadhaar only if Das is found to be a foreign national. It also asks the Ministry of Home Affairs and other official respondents to investigate the background and personal details of various persons, including Das’s parents. The petitioner, Ganesh Kumar of Kanchipuram district, also asks the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to block Das’s Instagram and X accounts and prevent him from making derogatory statements against the judiciary and Supreme Court judges.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel referred to documents annexed to the petition allegedly concerning Das’s identity and addresses, and drew the court’s attention to statements allegedly made by Das against the judiciary. The court heard preliminary submissions and issued notice. It has made no finding on any of the allegations, which are the petitioner’s own.

Das is a journalist who became chief spokesperson of the CJP, a satirical political movement that has led protests against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The group has been the subject of several petitions in courts in recent months. Das has not responded to the plea in the reports I found.

inputs from Bar and Bench