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Identity of rape victims has to be protected: SC (Lead)
New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the identity of rape victims has to be protected at all stages of the case, including during trial, and asked the media to refrain from sensationalising it for the sake of increasing viewership, known as television rating point (TRP).
A bench of Justices Madan B. Lokur and Deepak Gupta said the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) reports and other documents related to such cases sould be handed over to the trial court in a sealed cover without disclosing the identity of the victims.
In such cases involving children from small villages, “even disclosure of the name of village may contravene the provisions of Section 23(2) POCSO because it will just require a person to go to the village and find out who the child is”.
Speaking for the bench, Justice Gupta advised the media to avoid sensationalising rape cases for the purpose of increasing the TRP and ordered that identity of minor rape victims cannot be disclosed even by their families.
Pointing to the harassment that a rape victim undergoes during the course of investigation and during the course of trial, Justice Gupta, who pronounced the judgment, said that the victim of rape is treated worse than the perpetrator of the crime and for no fault of the victim.
“Society instead of empathising with the victim, start treating her as an untouchable,” he said.
“A victim of rape/sexual abuse is treated like — pariah — and ostracised from the society,” the court said.
“A minor victim of sexual abuse needs to be protected even more than a major victim because a major victim being an adult may still be able to stand the social ostracisation and mental harassment meted out by the society. However, a minor victim will find it difficult to do so,” it added.
The court said this while addressing the question in what manner the identity of adult victims of rape and children who are victims of sexual abuse should be protected so that they are not subjected to unnecessary ridicule, social ostracisation and harassment.
The court dealt with the question of adult rape victims under the Indian Penal Code and that of children under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012.
The verdict came on a PIL by advocate Nipun Saxena, who had moved the court seeking steps for the safety of women in public places.
The petition was filed in the aftermath of the December 16, 2012, Delhi gangrape case.
“The media has not only the right but an obligation to report all such cases. However, it should be cautious not to sensationalise the same,” the court said further restraining the media from talking to the “victim because every time a victim repeats the tale of misery, the victim again undergoes the trauma which he/she has gone through”.
Reporting of rape cases, the court said, should be done “sensitively keeping the best interest of the victims, both adult and children, in mind. Sensationalising such cases may garner Television Rating Point (TRP) but does no credit to the credibility of media”.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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