New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued an order directing the immediate removal of all references to the identity of RG Kar rape and murder victim from social media and digital platforms. A trainee doctor was brutally raped and murdered at Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
Circulation of the victim’s name and images
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra had heard a petition on 20th August 2024 in this regard. The petitioners raised concerns about the rampant circulation of the victim’s name and images on platforms such as Meta (Facebook and Instagram), YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter), in clear violation of privacy laws.
After the Nipun Saxena case, it was mandated that the identity of rape victims must not be disclosed by any form of media including social and electronic outlets.
SC invokes Section 72(1) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita 2023
In its order, the Supreme Court invoked Section 72(1) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita 2023, underscoring the illegality of publishing such sensitive content. The court expressed its dismay that despite clear legal frameworks, social media platforms had allowed the circulation of videos and images of the deceased.
“We are constrained to issue an injunctive order as social and electronic media have proceeded to publish the identity of the deceased and photographs of the body after its recovery,” the court said.
The bench ordered all social media platforms to immediately remove any content that violates the privacy of the deceased.
