ORDER

The petitioner is before this Court calling in question a crime registered in Crime No.200 of 2023 registered for offence punishable under Section 67B of the Information Technology Act, 2008 (‘the Act’ for short).

2. Re-heard Sri S.Jagan Babu, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Sri B N Jagadeesh, learned Additional State Public Prosecutor appearing for respondent No.1.

3. The facts, in brief, germane are as follows:

A complaint comes to be registered against the petitioner on an incident that happens on 23-03-2022. The incident is that the petitioner, between 3.50 p.m. to 4.40 p.m., has viewed a website, which holds in it pornographic material of children. This is noticed by the cyber Tipline, which placed an alert on its Tipline with regard to the IP address. IP address led to the mobile number of the petitioner and then to his address. A complaint then comes to be registered on 03-05-2023 after about a year and two months of the aforesaid incident. The complaint then becomes a crime in Crime No.200 of 2023 for offence punishable under Section 67B of the Act. Registering the crime drives the petitioner to this Court, in the subject petition.

4. The learned counsel for the petitioner would vehemently contend that Section 67B of the Act is not even attracted in the case at hand. All that the petitioner was doing was, viewing a pornographic website on his mobile for about 50 minutes. The allegation is that he has viewed child pornography. He would contend that the petitioner is somewhat a porn addict and never intended to circulate anything, as he was himself viewing the existing website. 5. This Court accepting the facts had allowed the petition in terms of its order dated 10-07-2024. The reasons so rendered for quashing the proceedings by this Court, read as follows:

“7. The afore-narrated facts, lie in a narrow compass. What leads to registration of crime, is an alert in the cyber Tipline that the petitioner watching a particular website on his mobile between 3:50 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. This results in registration of the complaint.

The complaint reads as follows:

"“(cid:3)ೕಲ(cid:6)ಂಡ (cid:9)ಷಯ(cid:12)ೆ(cid:6) ಸಂಬಂ(cid:16)(cid:17)ದಂ(cid:19)ೆ ತಮ(cid:22)(cid:23)(cid:24)

zÀ (cid:12)ೇ(cid:25)(cid:12)ೊಳ(cid:28)(cid:29)ವ(cid:31) ೇ!ೆಂದ"ೆ #ಾನ& ಸ’ೕ(ಚ* !ಾ&+ಾಲಯ , ೇ(ಶನದ ªÀÄ ಅನ/ಯ (cid:12)ೇಂದ0 ಸ(cid:12)ಾ(ರವ(cid:31) 2018 ರ(cid:23)(cid:24) ಮ23ೆಯರ ಮತು5 ಮಕ(cid:6)ಳ/ಇತ"ೆ/ ಕ(cid:6)ಳ (cid:9)ರುದ8 9ೈಂ;ಕ ಅಪ"ಾಧಗಳನು? ತ@ೆಗಟುBವ ,CBನ(cid:23)(cid:24) ಪ0(cid:19)ೆ&ೕಕDಾದ (CCPWC) & (NCCRP) & (NCMEC) Eೕಟ(Fಗಳನು? (cid:19)ೆ"ೆGದುH, ಕ!ಾ(ಟಕ "ಾಜ&(cid:12)ೆ(cid:6) ಸಂಬಂ(cid:16)(cid:17)ದಂ(cid:19)ೆ ಮಕ(cid:6)ಳ (cid:9)ರುದ8 9ೈಂ;ಕ ಅಪ"ಾಧಗಳನು? ಕುJತು (cid:12)ೇಂದ0 ಸ(cid:12)ಾ(ರದ (MHA) ದವರು ಸಂಗ02(cid:17)ದ #ಾ2Kಯನು? (cid:12)ೇಂದ0 ಸ(cid:12)ಾ(ರದ ಎM.(cid:17).ಆO.P. ಮೂಲಕ EೕQ(F ನ(cid:23)(cid:24)/(cid:17)Rಯ(cid:23)(cid:24) SೈಬO ಅಪ"ಾಧಗ(cid:25)Tೆ ಸಂಬಂ(cid:16)(cid:17)ದಂ(cid:19)ೆ ದೂರುಗಳನು? ಪJUೕ(cid:23)(cid:17) ಕ0ಮ (cid:12)ೈTೊಳ(cid:29)ಲು (cid:17)ಐR ಘಟಕ(cid:12)ೆ(cid:6) ಕಳ(cid:28)2(cid:17)ದH ಸದJ ದೂರುಗಳನು? ಸದJಯವರು (cid:17)Rಯ(cid:23)(cid:24) ಪ@ೆದು(cid:12)ೊಂಡು ಅವ(cid:31)ಗಳನು? (cid:19)ಾಂK0ಕDಾ; ಪJUೕ(cid:23)(cid:17) ಅದರ(cid:23)(cid:24)ರುವ Tೌಪ& #ಾ2K (cid:9)Yೆ(cid:24)ೕಷZೆ #ಾR ಸಂಬಂಧಪಟB SೇDಾ ಾರJಂದ (Service Provider) #ಾ2Kಯನು? (cid:12)ೊ0ೕ[ೕಕJ(cid:17), C\ 9ೈM ನಂಬO-120928689 ರ (cid:17)Rಯ(cid:23)(cid:24)ರುವ #ಾ2Kಯನು? ಪJUೕ(cid:23)ಸ9ಾ;ದುH, ಆ"ೋ] G!ಾಂಕ: 23/03/2022 ರಂದು ಮ ಾ&ಹ? 03.50 ಗಂ_ೆ‘ಂದ ಸಂaೆ 4.40 ಗಂ_ೆಯವ"ೆTೆ ಮಕ(cid:6)ಳ ಅU(cid:24)ೕಲ(cid:19)ೆ bಾವcತ0/(cid:9)Rdೕ (cid:9)ೕeZೆ #ಾRರುವ ಬTೆf ಇದ"ೊಂGTೆ ಲಗK5(cid:17)(cid:12)ೊಂRರುವ ಆ"ೋ]ಯ ಐ.].(cid:9)3ಾಸGಂದ gಾಗೂ ಇತ"ೆ #ಾ2Kಯನು? ಒಳTೊಂRರುವ(cid:31)ದು ಕಂಡು ಬಂGದುH, (cid:17)Rಯ(cid:23)(cid:24)ರುವ #ಾ2Kಯನು? Extension, Hosakote. ijೈF ಸಂkೆ& 7019087692 ಆ;ದುH, ಈ ಬTೆf ದೂರು ಾಖ(cid:23)(cid:17) ಆ"ೋ]ಯ dgÀÄV¸À®Ä (cid:9)ರುದ8 (cid:12)ಾನೂನು JೕKಯ ಸೂಕ5 ಕ0ಮ(cid:22) ಈ ಮೂಲಕ ,DೇG(cid:17)(cid:12)ೊಂRರು(cid:19)ೆ5.”

This complaint, leads to registration of a crime in Crime No.200/2023 for offence punishable under Section 67B of the IT Act. Whether watching pornography material would