A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Mahinder Narain and Justice Mukul Mudgal directed the government while hearing an appeal on behalf of a rape victim seeking compensation from DD and the producer of a programme allegedly violating her ``right to privacy and dignity''. The programme the petitioner alleged had revealed her identity when telecast in March 1995.

The appeal, against the dismissal of the petition earlier was filed by Media Watch Group (MGW). The petitioner alleged that DD and the programme Lens Eye, produced by Anuradha Prasad of BAC films and co-produced by Archna Jha had shown the picture of the woman and displayed her name in the telecast, despite a commitment against it.

Media Watch Group counsel Nidhi Dikshit submitted that the telecastwas a violation of the victim's right to privacy and to live with dignity. Acting Chief Justice Narain and Justice Mudgal wanted the respondents to place before it the guidelines and yardsticks for ensuring compliance of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions which stipulates that the identity of a rape victim would be preserved during interviews and media reports.The case will come up for hearing again on September 16.

The rape victim, an uneducated woman, was sold into prostitution by her maternal uncle and later rescued. After marriage, she used to visit a private nursing home for treatment where she was allegedly raped by the doctor while under general anaesthesia.

Programme producer Jha, who had approached the Mahila Dakshita Samiti regarding the production of the programme, had assured that the names of the victims would be changed and mosaic (pixilate) would be used to conceal their faces.

When the programme was telecast, the victim was surprised to find her and her husband's faces clearlyvisible on the screen although some feeble attempt had been made to darken the same.