Barely hours after the Supreme Court ruled out restoration of 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir, mobile internet was resumed in the Kashmir Valley albeit at 2G speeds.
The services, which have been mostly off during the last few months were restored couple of months back but was again cut off in the wake of the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Riyaz Naikoo in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district last Wednesday.
Yesterday, a three judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice N V Ramana disposed off a plea to resume internet at 4G speed in the Valley but set up a committee to look into the matter and suggest a way out that would take into the account both the citizens plight as well as the security concerns for the country.
Ordering restoration of 2G internet services, Principal Secretary, Home, Shaleen Kabra, maintained that high-speed internet could be used by inimical elements to coordinate terror attacks or incite people by circulating propaganda material.
All internet services were snapped in the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir on August 4 last year, hours before the Centre announced the decision to bifurcate the state into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
The internet services have since been restored in a phased manner, but the speed is extremely slow, which inhibits exchange of large files like videos, high-resolution pictures and live-streaming of educational classes.
-India Legal Bureau