Pooja Bedi and 7 others accused of allegedly revealing rape survivor's identity, Bombay court refuses to stay court proceedings

In its recent order, the court observed that there appears to be prima facie evidence pointing to the involvement of the accused in the offence.

A sessions court in Mumbai has refused to stay legal proceedings against actress Pooja Bedi and seven others in connection with a 2019 case involving the alleged disclosure of a rape survivor's identity.

The complaint stems from a press conference held soon after actor Karan Oberoi’s arrest, where the woman's identity—who had accused Oberoi of rape—was allegedly revealed.

In its recent order, the court observed that there appears to be prima facie evidence pointing to the involvement of the accused in the offence. As a result, it ruled that the charges could not be dismissed at this initial stage.

The matter involves a violation of Section 228A of the Indian Penal Code, which strictly forbids the public revelation of a rape victim’s identity, in order to protect their privacy and dignity.

The complainant claimed that soon after filing a rape case against actor Karan Oberoi, a group of individuals held a press conference at the residence of a prominent actress—identified here as Reema Sen—during which her identity was allegedly disclosed. In response to this, she approached the Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Andheri and officially lodged a complaint against the group in June 2019.

Following her complaint, the court initiated legal proceedings against Reema Sen, actress Isha Malhotra, Raghav Deshmukh, Neil Patkar, Tanisha Oberoi, Meher Fernandes, actor Aarav Khanna, and legal counsel Rajiv Sharma.

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As per the findings of the police investigation, a press conference was reportedly organized at the residence of Pooja Bedi on May 5, 2019. During this event, members of the group are alleged to have disclosed the complainant’s identity, including her name and other confidential personal details.

This disclosure is believed to constitute a violation of the legal safeguards in place to protect the anonymity and dignity of sexual assault survivors.