The Supreme Court of India has directed Wikipedia to immediately remove the name and photograph of the victim in the RG Kar Medical College Hospital rape and murder case in Kolkata. The bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra passed this order during a suo motu hearing.
The decision reiterates an earlier order issued on August 20, 2024, which mandated the elimination of all references to the victim’s identity from social and electronic media platforms. In its directive, the court emphasized, “We accordingly direct that all references to the name of the deceased victim and photographs related to the incident shall forthwith be removed from all social media platforms including electronic media platforms in compliance with this order.” The full text of the August order is available here.
The court underscored the necessity of this directive by citing the principle that the identity of victims in rape and murder cases should remain confidential to preserve their dignity and privacy. Even an artistic representation of the victim linked to the case, although not a real photograph, was ordered to be removed to prevent any potential misrepresentation. The details of the recent order can be reviewed here.
This ruling aligns with guidelines from the Nipun Saxena v. Union of India case, which stipulate that the identity of rape victims should only be disclosed under exceptional circumstances authorized by a competent authority.
During the same hearing, the Supreme Court also reviewed the ongoing investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). While the details of the report were not disclosed, Chief Justice Chandrachud remarked that its content was “disturbing.” The bench also criticized a recent notification from the West Bengal government advising female doctors to avoid night shifts for safety reasons, labeling it as unconstitutional.
As the case continues to attract public attention, the CBI remains actively involved in its investigation.
Read more about this development here.