Sikkim High Court: Media Not Barred from Disclosing Accused's Name

Sikkim High Court ruled that no law prohibits the media from disclosing the name of an accused person while reporting on an FIR. 

The Court emphasized that crime reporting is a fundamental duty of the press as the "fourth pillar of democracy" and does not constitute a "media trial" if the reporting is fair and accurate.

The Court noted that since the Supreme Court mandates uploading FIRs to public websites, restricting the publication of an accused's name would render that mandate useless.

While the name of the accused can be disclosed, the Court clarified that the identity of the victim must remain strictly confidential.

[Rabden Sherpa v. State of Sikkim]