SC posts final hearing in media reporting of sexual assault cases to February'19

The Supreme Court on Friday posted a case related to media reporting in sexual assault and abuse cases for final hearing to February next year.

This issue had cropped up while the Apex Court was hearing an appeal against Patna High Court's blanket ban order with regards to media reporting in the Muzaffarpur shelter home rape case.

The Supreme Court had earlier asked both print and electronic media not to "sensationalise" incidents of sexual assaults and abuse. The court had also ordered the media to report such cases responsibly so as not to reveal the identity of the victim.

The top court had also issued notices to the Press Council of India, Editors Guild of India, News Broadcasting Standards Authority and News Broadcasters Association and sought their assistance on reporting of such cases by media.

More than 40 minor girls were allegedly sexually assaulted over a period of time in the shelter home which was run by Brijesh Thakur's state-funded non-governmental organisation (NGO). Thakur is the purported mastermind of the incidents.

Subsequently, the NGO was blacklisted and the girls were shifted to other shelter homes in Patna and Madhubani.