Apologise for revealing victim’s identity: HC to media houses

THE BENCH IS HEARING A PIL SEEKING ACTION AGAINST CERTAIN MEDIA HOUSES. THE COURT LISTED THE MATTER FOR FURTHER HEARING ON DECEMBER 20.

NEWDELHI: The Delhi high court on Monday asked a media house to tender “a nicely worded apology” along with an affidavit for revealing the identity of the Hyderabad rape victim.

A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the media house whether it revealed the identity of the victim in ignorance or “deliberately” and directed it to put its house in order.

The court also observed that costs ought to have been imposed on media house for not filing an affidavit till date. “Are you ignorant or did you do it deliberately? You have not even filed an affidavit. You should have filed today at least. Why no cost be imposed on you,” the bench said, adding “put your house in order”.

“Tender a nicely worded apology and file an affidavit,” it stated orally. The remarks by the bench came after the counsel for the media house told the court it has taken down the news reports which had revealed the victim’s identity. It also told the court that such an incident will not happen in future.

Similar directions were issued by the court to another media house which had also revealed the victim’s identity.

The directions by the bench came while hearing a PIL seeking action against certain media houses that revealed the identity of the Hyderabad rape victim. The court listed the matter for further hearing on December 20.

Section 228A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) makes disclosure of identity of victim of certain offences, including rape, punishable with imprisonment of a term that may extend to two years and a fine.