पूर्व सेना प्रमुख की किताब लीक मामले में आईटी अधिनियम लागू

For UPSC Prelims, remember that the Delhi Police have registered a case under the IT Act concerning the leak of General Naravane's unpublished memoir. The police are investigating how the content entered the public domain before publication clearance. Also, be aware that the IT Act, 2000 is the primary law dealing with cybercrime in India.

The Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) is the primary law in India dealing with cybercrime and electronic commerce. In the book leak case, the IT Act is invoked because the unauthorized circulation of the manuscript online potentially constitutes a cyber offense. The investigation aims to determine if any provisions of the IT Act were violated through the digital leak and distribution of the book's content.

The investigation might involve considerations of Freedom of Speech vs. National Security if the leaked content contains information that could potentially compromise national security. While freedom of speech is a fundamental right, it is subject to reasonable restrictions, including those related to national security. The authorities would need to balance the public's right to information with the need to protect sensitive information.

The IT Act is invoked because preliminary inquiries suggest that a PDF copy of the manuscript is available on multiple websites. The unauthorized circulation and distribution of copyrighted material in digital form fall under the purview of cybercrime, which the IT Act addresses.

Section 120B of the IPC, which deals with criminal conspiracy, is relevant because the police have registered a case under this section along with the IT Act. This suggests that the police suspect that the leak was not an isolated incident but a planned act involving multiple individuals.

Recent developments include the Delhi Police issuing a notice to Penguin Random House India seeking clarifications over the circulation of the book on social media. The police are investigating how the content entered the public domain before formal publication clearance and are examining whether the material was accessed during the submission and editorial processes.