Sexual crimes

hour demands that some preventive measures must be taken so as to avoid and to deal with such situations in the interest of justice,” the plea added.

Demands for such curbs have been made several times, most prominently in the aftermath of a suicide by a senior Genpact employee in December. In the suicide note, the man said he had been falsely accused of harassment by two women and fired without being heard.

The petition said suspects of sexual crimes should be named only after charges are proved beyond doubt to uphold the “innocent until proven guilty” legal principle. A bench led by justice SA Bobde issued notice to the Union ministry of home affairs, law ministry and ministry of information and broadcasting for their opinion on the demand.

Women’s rights activists have resisted such guidelines, saying the naming acts as a deterrent. “In my experience, in several cases in the corporate sector, the officials fearing a dent on their reputation comply with the rules. If the name of an accused now remains hidden, it will make matters worse for women,” said Dr Rajulben L Desai of the Nation Commission of Women.

“It is important that women and children in any society know of perpetrators. There was talk of making of a roster of those accused in sexual crimes after they are proven guilty, then where is the need to hide criminals,” said Ranjana Kumari of the Centre for Social Research.