HC rebukes Nagpur police for disclosing survivor’s identity

Nagpur: The Nagpur bench of Bombay high court castigated police officials last week over allegations of revealing identity and personal details of a rape survivor. The bench asked Nagpur police commissioner and other officers to file their responses, calling it a "very serious matter".The case came up before Justice Nandesh Deshpande during hearing of a petition filed by the survivor, who alleged that Nagpur Police officials violated her right to privacy by revealing sensitive information after registration of the rape case at Gittikhadan police station on May 17.Her petition, filed through counsels Rahul Waghmare and Vishva Gadbaile, alleged that after the complaint was registered, police personnel shared the survivor's name, photographs, Aadhaar details and other personal information, while speaking to YouTube channels and media platforms.The plea further stated that the information was widely circulated on social media, causing a serious breach of privacy and violating the survivor's right to live with dignity. During the hearing, the court took serious note of the allegations and orally reprimanded the police over the reported disclosure of the survivor's identity.As per the petition, the woman came in contact last year with a property dealer, who allegedly gained her trust by promising marriage, emotional support and financial assistance. The petitioner alleged she was sexually exploited and she subsequently discovered the accused was already married, a fact she claimed was deliberately concealed from her.