Delhi Police sends notice to Twitter over toolkit controversy

A team of the Delhi Police Special Cell landed at the office of Twitter India in the national capital's Lado Sarai area on Monday. At the same time, a second team reached the office of the social media giant in Gurugram.

While the team at the Lado Sarai office was turned back, the second team is still believed to be at the office of Twitter India in Gurugram, Haryana.

Earlier on Monday, Delhi Police Special Cell served a notice to Twitter in connection with the 'Manipulated Media' tag controversy. A response was sought from the social media giant in this regard.

Sources in the government said the Delhi Police team went to the offices of Twitter India to serve a notice to the social media company as part of routine process.

Delhi Police wanted to ascertain the right person who could be served the notice since replies by Twitter India MD have been very ambiguous, sources added.

Twitter had tagged a document shared by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra as 'Manipulated Media' on May 21. The document, claimed Patra, was evidence of the Congress party's strategy to "defame" Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In its notice, the Delhi Police Special Cell asked Twitter India to share any information it might have on the documents shared by Sambit Patra. The notice was addressed to Manish Maheshwari, Managing Director (MD) of Twitter India.

Delhi Police Special Cell is conducting a preliminary inquiry pertaining to the "Toolkit which is allegedly released by the Indian National Congress", read the notice.

The notice to Twitter India went on to say, "It has come to our knowledge that you are acquainted with the facts of the matter and are in possession of information with regard to the same."

These raids by the Delhi Police Special Cell also came less than 24 hours before the end of the deadline for social media companies to comply with the Information Technology Intermediary Guideline Rules 2021.