Don't serve notices through WhatsApp: Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ruled that legal notices should not be served through social media platforms such as WhatsApp or X (formerly Twitter). The directive came while considering an anticipatory bail plea filed by an accused in a harassment case in Odisha.

Earlier, the court had instructed that a notice be sent to the victim. When the case was reviewed recently, the court inquired whether the notice had been served. The accused’s lawyer informed the court that the victim’s whereabouts were unknown and that the summons had been sent via WhatsApp.

The court, however, did not accept this explanation. It directed the police to locate the victim within two weeks and personally serve the notice.