Judicial officers should not mention the name of victims in the judgements passed in sexual assault cases and they “must avoid” disclosing the identity to protect their reputation, the Delhi High Court has said.
Justice S.P Garg said this while noting that a magistrate as well as district and sessions judge had mentioned the name of victim in their orders in a molestation case.
“Before parting with the case, it is noted that in the judgement dated October 21, 2013, name of the prosecutrix/ victim has been disclosed/mentioned. The trial court was not expected to indicate the victim’s name in the judgement,” the court said.
“The mistake has been carried out by the district and sessions judge too... Presiding officers must avoid disclosing identity of the victim/prosecutrix in such cases in the judgement to protect her reputation,” it said.
The court noted it while dismissing a revision petition filed by a man challenging the legality and correctness of a July 2014 judgement passed by the district and sessions judge on his appeal against a magisterial court’s verdict convicting him for the offence under section 354 (molestation) of IPC.
