Maha: 7 newspapers booked for publishing photos of minor rape

Cases have been registered against editors and concerned staff of seven newspapers for allegedly violating provisions of the POCSO Act by publishing photograph and other details of a minor rape and murder victim, police said on Wednesday.

Offenses under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act have been registered against editors and concerned staff of the papers with the Bhoiwada police station on Tuesday, police PRO Sukhada Narkar said.

The errant publications include 'Pudhari', 'Dopahar Ka Samna', 'Punyanagari', 'Hindi Samachar', 'Navbharat', 'Rajastan Patrika', and 'Pravasi Sandesh', she added.

On December 22, the police had registered a case against a man for allegedly raping and killing a seven-year- old girl in Bhiwandi town of Maharashtra's Thane district, the official said.

These newspapers had published a news article about the incident along with the photograph of the minor victim and divulged other details about her, thus violating the POCSO Act, the official said.