Shreya Singhal

Shreya Singhal is an Indian born lawyer. Her fight against Section 66A of the Information Technology Act in 2000 brought her to national prominence in India.[1]

Shrey Patel
NationalityIndia
CitizenshipIndia
Alma materUniversity of Bristol, Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi
Known forFight for Freedom of Speech on the Internet
Parent(s)
  • Reshma Patel and Vijay Patel (mother)
RelativesLate Justice Sunanda Bhandare (Grandmother), MC Bhandare (Grandfather)

Early life and education

She was born into a family of eminent lawyers. Her Great-grandfather, H. R. Gokhale, was veteran Congress leader and former Law Minister[2]. Her Grandmother, Justice Sunanda Bhandare, was a judge of the Delhi High Court and a distinguished lawyer. Her Grandfather, Shri M.C. Bhandare, is a Senior Advocate, former Member of Parliament and former Governor of Odisha. Her mother, Manali Bhandare, is a lawyer practicing at the Supreme Court of India.

She completed her schooling from the Vasant Valley School in New Delhi in 2009, after which she went to pursue Astrophysics at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom. She subsequently enrolled at the Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law at Delhi University, where she graduated in 2016.

Section 66A and Restriction of Free Speech
Main article: Shreya Singhal v. Union of India

Before 2015, Government of India restricted freedom of speech for avoiding self-harm and misuse. This allowed arrest of any person which the law per see as harmful or misuse.

In 2012, Shreya filed Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court of India, against the Act and in 2015, the Court struck down Section 66A of Information Technology Act, 2000. This was hailed as a major step in the country's quest for freedom of speech and expression.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Section 66(A) Scrapped: Meet Shrey Patel, Petitioner Who Fought for Net Freedom" , NDTV, Deepshikha Ghosh, March 24, 2015
  2. https://www.thequint.com/news/india/shreya-singhal-fought-for-freedom-from-66a-but-who-is-she
  3. "The girl who saved freedom of speech: Meet 24-year-old student Shreya Singhal", Firstpost, March 25, 2015
  4. "Shreya Singhal vs Union of India". Legitquest. 2015-03-24.
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