The Supreme Court has underscored the need for cautious use of social media, emphasising its impact and far-reaching consequences, as it rejected a petition filed by actor and former Tamil Nadu MLA S Ve Shekher. The actor is facing charges for sharing a Facebook post in 2018 that allegedly contained derogatory remarks against women journalists.

A bench of Justices BR Gavai and P K Mishra was presiding over the plea filed by Shekher, challenging the Madras High Court’s order of July 14, which dismissed his request to quash the criminal proceedings related to the controversial post he shared.

The Supreme Court bench advised the advocate representing the petitioner to exercise vigilance in utilising social media due to its potential impact and reach. The judges stated that individuals who engage with social media platforms should be aware of the repercussions associated with their actions.

In response, the lawyer argued that Shekher had applied medicine to his eyes on the day of the incident, which prevented him from reading the content of the post he shared.

The bench acknowledged the significance of prudence when using social media and stressed that those who choose to employ such platforms must also be prepared to accept the consequences.

The Madras High Court had previously highlighted that Shekher had allegedly “published/circulated an abusive, derogatory and vulgar comment in his Facebook account” on April 19, 2018. This led to a complaint filed with the Chennai Commissioner of Police, resulting in an FIR being registered and private complaints being filed against him in various parts of Tamil Nadu. Shekher’s counsel had argued before the High Court that he had forwarded the message from his Facebook account without being aware of its content. After discovering the offensive remarks, Shekher reportedly removed the content within a few hours and subsequently issued an unconditional apology to the concerned women journalists and the media.

The HC’s order highlighted the gravity of the message forwarded by Shekher, describing it as derogatory and demeaning towards women journalists and the press in Tamil Nadu. The court noted the rapid dissemination of messages through social media, emphasizing the need for responsible behavior considering its wide-reaching impact.