Court restrains media from reporting names, addresses of Unnao rape survivor, family & witnesses

A Delhi court Wednesday directed the media to abstain from reporting names and address of the Unnao rape survivor, her family and witnesses and certain other aspects of the case.

District Judge Dharmesh Sharma issued a slew of guidelines on media reporting including restraining it from reporting on testimonies of witnesses and merits of the case.

The court said the trial has to be completed within 45-day deadline set by the Supreme Court and declined the plea of CBI seeking 30 days to complete the investigation by saying that it has to be done by August 17.

During the proceedings, senior Public Prosecutor Ashok Bhartendu, appearing for CBI, said the statement of the rape survivor, recorded by the court, should be relied upon in this case and the accused persons should be put on trial.

The CBI's contention was supported by advocate Dharmendra Kumar Mishra and advocate and general secretary of Pragatisheel Mahila Sanghathan, Poonam Kaushik, the counsel of the victim and her family.

Opposing CBI's contentions, advocate Tanvir Ahmed Mir, appearing for the accused -- expelled BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar -- said the allegations were "false" and "motivated".

He claimed the allegations were a result of "prior animosity" between the families of Sengar and the survivor.

While issuing directions for the media, the court said it will make appropriate decision at a later stage on holding "in-camera" proceedings.

The court said however that for the time being, media will not cover and exclude part of the proceedings as and when any specific directions are passed by the court during course of inquiry/ trial as the case may be.

"The media shall refrain from reporting testimony of any witness, wholly or partly, and refrain from appreciating such evidence or giving any opinion on the merits of the case during the course of this enquiry/ trial as the case may be," it said.

The court further said media persons will not record the proceedings in audio-video mode inside or outside the courtroom.