Women Don't Deserve Public Humiliation By Media Trial: Delhi Court

It is no news that the media trials in this country can be as nasty as they can get. Women, without being convicted, have been subjected to hate, disrespect and public humiliation by the media and public on several occasions, and it has only got worse with time. Recently, while hearing a case matter with respect to a woman subjected to media trial, a Delhi Court announced that no such thing must be carried out in the future because women do not deserve public humiliation whether or not yet have been accused.

The Delhi Court declared that even if women are accused of a crime, they are not subjected to humiliation and their dignity must be protected on all grounds, especially if they have not been under trial yet.

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Women accused media trial

Reportedly, the Delhi Court was hearing an application filed by a woman named Neelam Sharma. Sharma has been accused of offences of criminal intimidation under section 507 and insulting the modesty of a woman under section 509. These sections were levied on her under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the IT Act’s provisions. Sharma appealed in the Court that an English daily newspaper published an article about her in which she was highly humiliated, and slandered. She asked the court to take necessary action since her reputation was at stake there.

Deepak Jagotra, the Principal District and Sessions Judge, observed that because Sharma's ongoing case is still at the beginning phase, media reporting the latter publicly violates personal liberty, according to Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The Court noted that unless a person is facing a trial in the court by law, there is no reason he or she should be announced as guilty and be humiliated in the eyes of the public. Pronouncing a person’s guilt and issuing judgments even before they have been on trial is defiantly not ideal and severally violates principles of legality, stated the Court. 

Women must be protected of their dignity at all times

Judge Jagotra noted how, several times, the media crosses limits and writes facts in alight that are very different to the true nature of the case or story, and therefore, it maligns the reputation of the people involved. 

The Judge, confirming that Sharma is an accused, said that her being charged does not make her worthy of public humiliation or disrespect in society without facing the trial. The Court passed an exparte ad-interim injunction on any kind of story carried out through publishing on social media, print media, electronic or on the internet against her.