Nipun Saxena v. Union of India
Supreme Court of India2018 INSC 1192; MANU/SC/1459/2018; (2019) 2 SCC 703Bench: CJI Ranjan Gogoi, J. L. Nageswara Rao
The Supreme Court issued nine binding guidelines: (1) No court, police officer, or any other person shall disclose the identity of a POCSO victim. (2) Judgments in POCSO cases must not reveal the victim's name, address, school, or any identifying particulars. (3) FIRs and charge sheets in POCSO cases must be treated as confidential documents. (4) Medical reports, statements, and case records shall not identify the victim. (5) Media and press are prohibited from publishing identifying details of POCSO victims under Section 23 — violation is a criminal offence. (6) High Courts must ensure POCSO trial courts use pseudonyms (e.g., "X" or "Child A") in all records. (7) Victim testimony must be recorded in camera. (8) Compensation to victims must be considered under the POCSO Act. (9) Annual audit by District Legal Services Authority to check compliance.