Delhi High Court deemed the media to be a ‘public authority’ for the purposes of the Constitution of India
Supreme
Court in Zee Telefilms Ltd. (supra), in Para 33, observed that when a private
body exercises public functions, even if it is not a state, the aggrieved person
has a remedy not only under the ordinary law but also under the
Constitution, by way of a writ petition under Article 226
In the light of the aforesaid discussion, I am of the view, that the press
and the media perform a public function and discharge a public duty of:
disseminating news, views & information;
The controversy in the present case, as aforementioned, relates to the
alleged disclosure of the identity of the petitioner‟s daughter, who had
reported a case of alleged child s*xual abuse against her own father, by the
respondents herein. The duty of the respondents herein to maintain utmost
secrecy and confidence in the matter of identity of the petitioner‟s daughter
has not been disputed. Such a duty of the press & media stems from the
need to prevent social obliteration and humiliation of the victim. The
potential of the press and media to cause such harm is immense because the
press and the media enjoy a position of trust in the society and also because
