Mother’s candidature cause spread of RG Kar victim’s photo

Kolkata: Despite an apparent legal bar, following Supreme Court judgments prohibiting disclosure of the identity of rape victims—especially those deceased or of unsound mind—the photograph of the RG Kar rape-murder victim has gone viral on social media after her mother was fielded by the BJP as a candidate from the Panihati Assembly Constituency.

On Wednesday, the BJP officially announced Ratna Debnath, the victim’s mother, in its third list of candidates. Speaking to the media on Thursday, she said that a court has permitted her to disclose her own identity as she is now a candidate. However, she added: “I expect in the near future I can also disclose my daughter’s identity.”

Meanwhile, uncensored photographs of the victim continue to circulate on social media, including on a Facebook page titled “Justice for My Angel”. The page also carries videos in which the mother is seen seeking justice for her daughter. The rape-murder case is currently sub judice before the Calcutta High Court, where a new bench comprising Justices Rajasekhar Mantha and Rai Chattopadhyay was recently constituted. The parents have sought further investigation into the rape-murder case where a civic volunteer Sanjoy Roy was awarded life term by a Sealdah court.

During earlier hearings, both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court had directed the removal of any content revealing the victim’s identity from social media and the internet. The apex court had also asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to appoint a nodal officer to ensure the takedown of such content.

Relying on the Supreme Court’s 2018 judgment in Nipun Saxena vs Union of India, the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued directions to Chief Secretaries and administrators across States and Union Territories. These included a prohibition on publishing the victim’s name or any detail that could lead to identification, whether in print, electronic, or social media.

The notification further stated that in cases where the victim is dead or of unsound mind, her identity cannot be disclosed even with authorisation from the next of kin, unless justified by circumstances and approved by a competent authority—currently the Sessions Judge.

More recently, in State of Himachal Pradesh v Hukum Chand alias Monu (March 24, 2026), the Supreme Court directed all Registrars General of High Courts to ensure strict compliance with the statutory bar under Section 228-A of the IPC (now Section 72 of the BNS) in all pending cases, including those instituted before the 2018 ruling.

Under Section 72 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, in cases involving deceased, minor, or mentally ill victims, any authorisation for disclosure of identity cannot be given by the next of kin to individuals. It may only be granted to the chairman or secretary of a recognised welfare institution or organisation, defined as one recognised by the Central or State government.