People stage a protest in Nadia on August 21, 2024 demanding justice for the postgraduate trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said on Wednesday (August 21, 2024) that it ordered social media platforms to remove posts naming the victim of the alleged Kolkata rape and murder that occurred on August 9.
The Ministry’s order to platforms comes as an enforcement of Supreme Court directions issued on Tuesday (August 20, 2024), after two lawyers approached the Court regarding the wide circulation of the postgraduate medical trainee’s name, and images of her dead body after the incident.
The trainee’s identity has been plastered all over social media, in spite of laws that forbid the disclosure of the identity of sexual assault victims. On top of posts revealing the trainee’s name, hashtags have circulated seeking justice for the incident, and images of protestors carrying placards bearing her name have also circulated online.
Also Read: Sexual crimes: SC places total bar on media disclosing victims’ names, identity
“In light of this order, MeitY hereby emphasises the importance of adhering to the Court’s directive to safeguard the privacy and dignity of individuals involved, and therefore social media platforms are required to take immediate action to ensure compliance with this order,” the IT Ministry said in a statement announcing its enforcement of the order. “Failure to comply with the Supreme Court’s order may result in legal consequences and further regulatory action.”
The Ministry also told social media firms to email the Ministry a compliance report in response to the order.