CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed a petitioner, who had prayed for a direction to the State DGP to take action against the State Home secretary and SP of Coimbatore (Rural) for disclosing the name of the Pollachi sexual abuse victim, to approach the jurisdictional magistrate court.
Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan gave the direction, when the petition from advocate A P Suryaprakasam of Royapettah, came up for hearing today.
The petition prayed for a direction to the DGP to file an FIR for an offence punishable under Section 228-A of the IPC, which provides for two years in jail.
The law prohibited any one, more particularly the police officials investigating crimes of sexual abuse of women and children, from disclosing the name and identity of the victims. However, the two officials had violated the provision, petitioner said.
“Coimbatore SP Pandiyarajan revealed the name of the victim/complainant to the media during a press interview in connection with the issue. Similarly, home secretary Niranjan Mardi revealed the name and educational institution where the victim is studying in the government order dated March 13 transferring the cases to CBI,” petitioner said.