The Kerala High Court has quashed all proceedings in a case registered against two nuns for publishing a photograph of another nun, a victim involved in a rape case, thus disclosing her identity.
The accused alleged that they had made the photo viral on social media. However, investigation found that the petitioners had sent e-mails to three media persons.
It was clear that the report sent by the petitioners to three media persons through e-mail was for publication. However, the name or identity of the victim was not disclosed, the court said.
The court, which went through e-mail, found that at the end of the report it was specifically stated that the identity as well as the face of the victim would not be published. Though a photograph of the victim along with some other priests was shown in the e-mail, it was specifically stated that the identity and face of the victim would not be published, Justice Kausar Edappagath said.
The court also observed that the name of the victim was not disclosed at all.
The court observed that the circumstances of the case show that there was no intention on the part of the nun to reveal the identity of the victim involved in the sexual offense to the public or even to any third party.