The Supreme Court has sought Centre’s reply on a plea seeking non-disclosure of the name of accused implicated in sexual offences till the investigation is completed.

The plea filed by Youth Bar Association of India and Deepak Bansal contended that fake allegations in sexual offences can ruin the whole life of an innocent person.

There have been incidents where persons deceptively indicted in such cases have even committed suicide, the plea contented.

“It does not only ruin an individual’s life but creates a social stigma to the family members too. Need of the hour necessitates that some prohibitory safeguards must be taken so as to evade and to deal with such situations in the interest of justice,” the plea contented.

The plea stated that “when the accused are named by the media outlets and the public, the person’s reputation is tarnished. Damage to prestige can be important for people who are wrongly alleged of having perpetrated a serious crime”.

The plea sought guidelines to protect the identity, prestige and honesty of individuals accused of sexual offences on the lines of guidelines which were mandated by the apex court in Vishaka and Ors. vs State of Rajasthan to protect the integrity of the victim and to defend the victim from grappling with social ostracism.

—India Legal Bureau