Madras HC warns cops against revealing identity of victims in sexual harassment cases
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has warned the police department against disclosing the identity of the sexual harassment victims in case records, including FIR.
Justice P Velmurugan, who issued the warning, noted that the Supreme Court has categorically said a sexual harassment victim’s identity should never be disclosed. He called upon the DGP and the Commissioner of Greater Chennai Police to issue necessary instructions to the police on this regard.
The judge also said the department would be held responsible if they failed to adhere to the order of the Supreme Court in this regard.He expressed shock after noticing that the victim’s name was revealed in the FIR in a petition filed by an accused seeking direction to the police to expeditiously file the charge sheet in a sexual harassment case against him. He ordered Kilpauk police to remove the name of the victim from the FIR forthwith.