CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has issued a stringent standing order aimed at preventing the disclosure of identities of victims in sexual offence cases, strengthening privacy safeguards in accordance with directions issued by the Supreme Court.
The order, issued on May 5 by Registrar General Bhagyalaxmi Rath, follows the Supreme Court’s March 24, 2026 judgment in State of Himachal Pradesh vs. Hukum Chand @ Minu and its earlier ruling in Nipun Saxena vs. Union of India, both of which emphasised strict confidentiality of survivors’ identities.
Acting on these directives, the High Court has introduced a detailed protocol for court officials, lawyers and registry staff.
Under the new guidelines, Stamp Reporters have been instructed to treat any mention of a victim’s name, address or other identifying details in petitions, affidavits or annexures as a defect. Such documents must be corrected before they are accepted on record to ensure sensitive information is not inadvertently disclosed.
In a significant move, the court has also fixed responsibility on advocates. Lawyers are now required to clearly indicate at the time of filing that a case pertains to a “sexual offence” under laws including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), or other relevant statutes.
The court said this classification would help the Registry apply enhanced scrutiny and confidentiality safeguards.
The order also addresses older case records where victims’ identities may already have been disclosed. In such matters, lawyers have been directed to submit edited versions of documents with the identifying portions removed, while original unedited records will be preserved in sealed covers for confidential judicial reference.
Additionally, the Registry has been instructed to prepare anonymised versions of judgments, orders and records in legacy cases. These masked copies will replace original records in both physical and digital case files.
With increasing reliance on digital court systems, the High Court has further directed that only edited documents be uploaded to the paperless module. Access to unedited material will remain strictly restricted and permitted only under specific court orders.
The court also clarified that the directions would apply to all pending matters, including cases filed before the 2019 Nipun Saxena judgment, and stressed that no disclosure of a victim’s identity should occur under any circumstances.
The guidelines have come into immediate effect, with the High Court warning that any violation will be treated seriously, signalling a zero-tolerance approach toward breaches of confidentiality in sexual offence cases.
