SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir High Court has directed the Registry to immediately remove the name of a victim from court documents in a criminal case, ensuring anonymity in sensitive matters.
A bench comprising Justices Atul Sreedharan and Puneet Gupta issued the order after it was revealed that the victim’s name appeared on multiple pages of the appeal memo. The court emphasised that police, forensic experts, and medical professionals must avoid mentioning the victim’s full name or address in cases related to sexual offences under Section 376 of the IPC or the POCSO Act.
Relying on the Supreme Court’s guidelines in Vipul Saxena v. Union of India (2019), the court instructed the JK administration to sensitise all investigating agencies on victim confidentiality. It also ordered that digital records be updated to reflect these changes. [KNT]
