The Supreme Court has stayed all pending high court proceedings challenging the Union government’s Sahyog portal and its use of Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act to direct online content takedowns. The Bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, issued notice on the Centre’s transfer petitions on July 22, with the petitions returnable on August 10. The Court also ordered that four high court cases remain stayed, according to medianama.com.
The stay covers four cases, including X Corp’s Karnataka High Court appeal, which contests the interpretation of Section 79(3)(b) as not authorising the government to issue independent takedown directions. The appeal followed a single judge’s ruling that the Sahyog portal is a facilitation mechanism, while binding blocking powers derive from Section 69A. Another case stayed is DigiPub News India Foundation’s appeal, which argues that Section 79 is a safe harbour provision, not a standalone takedown mechanism, per medianama.com.
The Centre contended that multiple constitutional challenges before different high courts could lead to conflicting rulings. The Sahyog portal, developed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, is central to the dispute, with petitioners claiming it enables government agencies to secure content takedowns outside safeguards prescribed under Section 69A of the IT Act and the Blocking Rules, 2009. The Supreme Court’s stay prevents fragmentation of legal interpretations across courts, medianama.com reports.
The Supreme Court’s next hearing on the Centre’s transfer petitions is scheduled for August 10, when the Court will consider the merits of the stay and the broader constitutional questions raised by the Sahyog portal’s use under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, according to medianama.com.