LI Network
Published on: December 1, 2023 at 15:30 IST
The Kerala High Court issued an interim order directing the Registry to expunge the name and details of a woman from the court’s website in connection with a matrimonial appeal.
Justice Devan Ramachandran emphasized the delicate nature of the issue, noting its adverse effects on the petitioner’s reputation and dignity.
The court directive states, “Since the issue is delicate and affecting the reputation and dignity of the petitioner, I direct R5 to take steps to anonymise the judgment with respect to her name and address and upload it as per the usual terms. Action in this regard shall be intimated to this Court in due course.”
The petitioner, a well-known dentist in the Middle East, sought the removal of her name and details from both the court’s website and Indian Kanoon. The matrimonial appeal’s disputes were amicably settled through a mediation agreement, leading to mutual consent for the dissolution of marriage.
The petitioner argued that the online availability of the judgment, revealing her name and her minor daughter’s details, negatively impacted their dignity and reputation in society.
Emphasizing the potential harm to her image when searched on popular search engines, the petitioner highlighted the need to protect a female from indignity caused by the online publication of her personal information.
Citing the precedent set in Vyskh K.G. v Union of India (2023), where the masking of parties’ names in family, matrimonial, child custody, and adoption cases was permitted under the “right to be forgotten,” the petitioner urged for similar protection.