FIR Relating To Sexual Assault Cases Shall Not Be Put In Public Domain:[Read SC Guidelines]

“We direct that an application to authorise disclosure of identity should be made only to the Sessions Judge/magistrate concerned.”The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued important directives to protect privacy and reputation of victims of rape crimes.The bench comprising Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Deepak Gupta issued the following 9 important directives. An application by the next of kin to authorise disclosure of identity of a dead victim or of a victim of unsound mind under Section 228A of IPC should be made only to the Sessions Judge concerned until the Government acts under Section 228A and lays down a criteria as per our directions for identifying such social welfare institutions or organisations In case of minor victims under POCSO, disclosure of their identity can only be permitted by the Special Court, if such disclosure is in the interest of the child. Identity of the victim should not be discernible from any matter published in the media Referring to 228A IPC, the bench said that the expression “matter which may make known the identity of the person” does not solely mean that only the name of the victim should not be disclosed but it also means that the identity of the victim should not be discernible from any matter published in the media. The bench said that the name of the victim or her identity should not be disclosed even under the authorization of the next of the kin, without permission of the competent authority.