A PIL before the Madras High Court has sought a probe into Saurav Das’s antecedents and directions to block his X and Instagram accounts over alleged derogatory remarks against the judiciary
BY PC Bureau
Chennai, October 30: The Madras High Court on Friday issued notice to the Centre and several authorities on a public interest litigation seeking an investigation into the identity, nationality and family background of investigative journalist and Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) spokesperson Saurav Das. The petition also seeks cancellation of his passport and Aadhaar if allegations concerning his nationality are established, besides blocking his social media accounts over allegedly derogatory remarks against the judiciary.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan issued notice to the Regional Passport Officer in Chennai, UIDAI, Union Home Ministry, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the grievance officers of X and Instagram.
The respondents have been given six weeks to respond.
The petition, filed by Ganesh Kumar of Kanchipuram district, is registered as WP 44399 of 2026. Appearing for the petitioner, advocate B. Jagannath argued that an inquiry into Saurav Das’s antecedents was necessary, alleging that his remarks against the judiciary crossed acceptable limits. He also told the court that an earlier complaint to the authorities had failed to elicit action.
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The PIL seeks a detailed and fair investigation into Saurav Das’s background and nationality, with appropriate action if the allegations are substantiated. It separately asks the court to direct MeitY to block his Instagram and X accounts and restrain him from making further allegedly derogatory remarks against judges and the judiciary.
The petition has also raised questions about claims concerning Saurav Das’s family origins, including alleged links to Nepal. These claims remain unverified and have not been established by any judicial finding.
Saurav Das is an investigative journalist and RTI activist who has emerged as a prominent face of the youth-led CJP movement, which has organised protests over employment, examination irregularities and governance issues. He has written for several publications, including The Hindu, The Wire and The Caravan.
He has also been involved in separate legal proceedings concerning social media commentary on the judiciary and the alleged circulation of his personal and family details.
The High Court’s decision to issue notice does not amount to an endorsement of the allegations or a finding against Das. The matter will be considered further after the respondents file their replies.
