The Kerala High Court ordered Meta to provisionally reinstate the Facebook account of veteran journalist N. Madhavan Kutty on July 31, 2026, ruling that the Kerala Police exceeded their authority by blocking the entire account over a single post, according to medianama.com. The court permitted Kutty to use his account provided the flagged content was removed, directing that only specific objectionable posts be taken down while the rest of the account remained active.
Justice Ziyad Rahman A.A. found that the police had objected to certain content but blocked Kutty’s entire Facebook account, which likely exceeded their legal powers. The court instructed a designated officer under the Director General of Police to provide Meta’s grievance officer with the exact URLs of the flagged posts. Meta was ordered to restore access immediately, with the court clarifying that only individually flagged material should be removed pending further hearings, per medianama.com.
The case highlights ongoing tensions between law enforcement and social media platforms in India over content regulation and user rights. Kutty’s account had been blocked since November 11, 2025, after he posted a Malayalam newspaper clipping about the Delhi blasts. The court’s intervention underscores judicial scrutiny of police actions that affect digital speech and platform governance, reflecting broader debates on the limits of content takedown powers in India.
Despite the court’s order, Kutty told The News Minute that his Facebook account remained inaccessible in India four days later. He described the court’s intervention as unusual and noted that it took into account practical realities. The Kerala High Court’s July 31 ruling remains a key reference point for future cases involving social media content moderation and police authority in India.