Social media ‘reporters’ booked for revealing name of alleged Ganderbal rape victim

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday booked several social media ‘reporters’ for revealing the name of alleged Ganderbal rape victim. “Certain social media reporters have been noticed by Ganderbal Police who violated legal provisions about non disclosure of real name of rape victim,” said the police, in a statement.

In this regard, he said, Principal Juvenile Justice Board (CJIM) Ganderbal has taken cognizance into the matter and passed directions to Police for taking legal action against such social media reporters.

Accordingly, Ganderbal Police registered a case FIR No. 102/2019 under section 23 POCSO Act, 228-A RPC against social media reporters who have publicized the identity of rape victim. Investigation in the matter is going on.

General public is hereby informed that the publication of real name of rape victim is a Criminal Offence under Prevention of Children from Sexual Offence Act (POCSO Act), he said.

.Pertinently,the supreme court on December 11 laid down an absolute bar on the media to publish or air the names or any material which may even remotely reveal the identity of victims of sexual crimes.

“No person can print or publish in print, electronic, social media, etc. the name of the victim or even in a remote manner disclose any facts which can lead to the victim being identified and which should make her identity known to the public at large. The bar extends to anything which can even remotely be used to identify the victim,” a Bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta laid down the rule in their judgment.