CUTTACK: The tendency to reveal the names and identity of juvenile persons in the media has come under scrutiny of the Orissa High Court. A Division Bench of Chief Justice V Gopalagowda and Justice BN Mohapatra on Monday issued notice to the Home secretary, the Director-General of Police and the DIG, Western Range, on the matter. Acting on a PIL filed by child rights activist Tapan Kumar Mohapatra, the Bench directed the additional Government advocate Bikram Keshari Nayak to file an affidavit on the questions of violation of the provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and protection of children) Act, 2000. The petitioner filed the PIL seeking action against the State officials for violating the provisions under Section 21 of the said Act. The law prohibits publication of name and photographs of the juvenile persons in conflict with law in any media. But newspapers and other media are blatantly being provided with names and photographs of the juveniles for publication and telecast in blatant violation of the law. Mohapatra has enclosed reports and photographs that have appeared in the media as evidence. Referring to the media publications, which contained photographs of minor girls, who were alleged Maoists, the petitioner had sought strict enforcement of the provisions of the law for protection of identity of juvenile accused. He also sought penal action against the officers concerned, who have plied the media with prohibited information, along with allowing the minors to be photographed.
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