Delhi HC notice to WhatsApp, Google on preserving JNU Jan 5 data

Standing counsel (criminal) Rahul Mehra and advocate Chaitanya Gosain, appearing for police, said it has asked the JNU administration to preserve and hand over footage of the violence, but added it has not yet received a response.

It was learnt that the Crime Branch sent the notice to the JNU chief security officer on January 10 and sought footage of all cameras at the entry, exit gates, outside the admin block and the hostel premises, between January 3 and January 5. The SBI’s branch manager was also asked to provide footage from cameras inside campus. The Crime Branch has furnished five mobile numbers to WhatsApp, of which one was used to invite people to join the group. “Provide complete destination/source IP logs since creation of group…,” said the police notice to WhatsApp.

Senior advocate Rebecca John and Akhil Sibal, appearing for JNU professors, sought urgent interim relief that WhatsApp be directed to preserve data of the groups. The court said it would pass such orders only after hearing the parties. No one appeared on behalf of WhatsApp, Google and Apple.