Freedom of expression could be the first victim

The first case lodged under the Cyber Crimes Tribunal finds some 37 teachers of a private school standing accused of tarnishing the reputation of an assistant headmistress. From media reports we understand that the accused are being charged with defamation under the new law; in that they are accused of posting demeaning pictures of the headmistress on social networks. The whole episode took a different turn when teachers took their complaint online.While we fully comprehend the need for cyber laws, especially in the backdrop of what happened with burning of temples in Ramu, the fact remains that there are other laws to combat defamation and related crimes. That a judge has taken the case is surprising. It is surprising since the amended Information and Communication Technology (ICT) law gives law enforcers sweeping powers to arrest anyone who has broken the ICT law without seeking a warrant. Those found guilty of breaking the law may be incarcerated for up to 14 years.  The amended bill, we believe, can be used to violate human rights and the right to express freely on the internet.The matter should have been left to the education ministry to deal with. Instead, we are now at the mercy of law enforcers who may act with impunity in bringing to book anyone deemed a threat and act without judicial oversight. All this is an ominous signal of things to come where the first casualty will be the freedom to express thoughts – a right of every individual living in a democratic country.