Delhi High Court quashes criminal case against Microsoft

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Friday quashed criminal proceedings against Microsoft India, a fortnight after the company was exempted by a trial court in a similar case for hosting objectionable content online.

Microsoft India is the only company, out of the 21 websites, against whom both criminal and civil proceedings pending in the capital’s High Court and trial court now stand quashed.

Justice Suresh Kait set aside the trial court’s order for initiating criminal proceedings against Microsoft India, for lack of any evidence. The HC also gave complainant Vinay Rai right to file a fresh complaint if he later finds any credible piece of evidence against the company.

Rai, a Delhi-based journalist, had filed cases against Google and Facebook among others, for hosting objectionable content online. Yahoo! India had also got a similar reprieve from the Delhi High Court earlier this month.

A Microsoft India spokesperson said that it was contrary to law to summon a party against whom no allegation was made. “We had filed a petition on the grounds that neither the text of the complaint nor the evidence adduced by the complainant made any reference to Microsoft,” a Microsoft spokeswoman said in a statement.