Section Text
1
[66A. Punishment for sending offensive messages through communication service, etc.--Any
person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device,
(a) any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or
(b) any information which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing annoyance,
inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill will,
persistently by making use of such computer resource or a communication device;
(c) any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing annoyance or
inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient about the origin of such
messages,
shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and with fine.
Explanation.--For the purposes of this section, terms "electronic mail" and "electronic mail message"
means a message or information created or transmitted or received on a computer, computer system,
computer resource or communication device including attachments in text, image, audio, video and any
other electronic record, which may be transmitted with the message.]
1. Section 66A has been struck down by Supreme Court's Order dated 24th March, 2015 in the Shreya Singhal vs. Union of India,
AIR 2015 SC. 1523.