The Supreme Court on Tuesday took strong note of media reporting in the Rewari gang-rape case, asking why no action has been taken against media houses for flouting the law as “everything has been said” about the 19-year-old victim.
“Where should we draw the line... We are concerned about the identity of the victim,” a Bench said and asked where should the line be drawn. The court made the observations while dealing with a plea challenging a Patna HC order restraining the media from reporting on the probe into the Muzaffarpur shelter home case where several women were allegedly raped and sexually abused over time.
Asking where was the question of “anonymity” in such a situation, the Bench said, “There are certain problems. Recently, there is a case of a girl being raped in Rewari [in Haryana]. They [media] say that she was a topper in CBSE exam. Topper means one person, not 20 people. So identifying her is not a problem.”
“Secondly, I have seen on TV channels that they [media] have talked to her father. The camera was placed behind the father. But in front of him, there are 50 people standing who are from the village. So they know who she is. In a situation like this, where is the question of anonymity,” Justice Lokur asked senior lawyer Shekhar Naphade, who was appearing for the petitioner.