Case against news channels for revealing rape victim’s identity

Dushyant Verma (25),who lives in Maharani Bagh,had met the victim online. He had invited her to his house on the pretext of lunch and raped her,and even recorded some footage on his video camera. The police had later recovered similar clippings of many other women from his laptop. A case was registered at the New Friends Colony police station on April 20.

The victim had been reluctant about filing a case initially but was convinced to file a complaint with the police after counselling through an NGO.

The 21-year-old’s trauma did not end there. With news channels airing her details,she had to shift house too.

“I came to know the publicity caused deep trauma to the victim,so much so that she had shift. The news channels unnecessarily drilled her with unnecessary questions. She even became suicidal and had to get professional help,” Walia said.

Zee News reportedly carried a special feature on the incident,airing a scanned copy of the FIR giving details of the incident as well as revealing the victim’s background and her address. IBN-7 too had carried the FIR copy.

Walia wrote to Commissioner Y S Dadwal about the incident on May 25,directing the police to register a case against the news channels under Section 228-A of the IPC for revealing the victim’s identity. “I had to send them reminders too to register the case immediately. I am seriously concerned about such insensitivity towards the victim,by the news channels as well as the police,” Walia said.

Based on the complaint forwarded by Walia,a case was registered against both the channels.

“A rape victim is usually already in a vulnerable position. Insensitive reporting,revealing the identity of the victim,makes them more disillusioned. They become suicidal and it becomes difficult to bring them back from the brink,” psychologist Rajat Mitra said. Mitra’s organisation Swanchetan has been counselling rape victims for several years.