New Delhi: The Supreme Court has refused to hear a petition challenging Manipur’s two-month-long internet ban, citing that the Manipur high court was already hearing it.According to LiveLaw, the bench comprising CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice P.S. Narasimha, and Justice Manoj Misra told the two petitioners, “The Division Bench is seized of the matter. Why don’t you move the High Court? Because the moment we issue notice, High Court will stop looking into the matter.”The petitioners are Manipur high court lawyer Chongtham Victor Singh and businessman Mayengbam James.They were represented by advocate Shadan Farasat said that the high court has not looked into the principle of proportionality in the matter yet.In response, the CJI said that the high court has formed an expert committee and directed it to examine whether internet could be restored in the state. “Mr Shadan Farasat states that the principle of proportionality also merits consideration in the matter. Faced with the fact that an Article 226 petition is also pending, Mr Shadan Farasat seeks permission to withdraw this matter and intervene in the pending matter or file an independent petition before High Court. Permission granted,” he said.Internet was first cut off in the state on May 3. Multiple government orders have since then called for its continuation.On June 16, the Manipur high court had ordered the state government to allow restricted internet access in certain areas. This order was made public on June 20, and has so far not been complied with.“Taking into consideration the hardship faced by the public specially with regard to the ongoing admission process of the students in the State and to enable the public for carrying out their urgent and essential services, the State authorities are directed to provide limited internet service to the public in some designated places under the controlled of the State authorities,” the HC order stated.Last week the Internet Freedom Foundation issued a statement expressing its concern over the continuing internet shutdown in Manipur, on its 50th day.“IFF is deeply perturbed by these egregious violations of fundamental rights – the ongoing censorship of online content as well as the alarming non-compliance with the Supreme Court’s rulings in Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India and the interim order in S.G. Vombatkere v. Union of India,” the statement noted.