Innocent until proven guilty

In the current scenario people are being vilified on various media sources for no fault of theirs.

We as citizens believe in the general truthfulness of the media. People form deeply entrenched opinions based on what the media portrays of products, events and more importantly other people. When media - intentionally or unintentionally - begins to decide how to sensationalize an issue or underplay it starts using its ability to direct populist sentiment as a tool to influence society.

Media is a reporting system and should not attempt to become a parallel judicial system. Media has always been investigative and informative; however, it is slowly being manipulated by negative social elements into a tool to destroy people's reputations.

Crime reporting is considered a sensitive domain. There are perpetrators and there are victims. There are also the side-actors - associates, friends, family - who may be innocent or guilty to varying degrees.

Today, while rigid legal restrictions are in place to protect the identity of the victims in crimes like rape, the same right is not afforded to the accused. The legal institution stands on the principle of justice where one is innocent until proven guilty. An accusation is NOT a judgement of guilty. The person being accused of a crime is innocent until proven to be guilty.

The accuser may be blatantly lying based on vengeance or for personal gains. The accusation may also be based on mistaken identity or on a whim. The accusation may appear simple enough from anyone, against anyone, anytime and for any reason. The alleged crime can vary from abuse to assault to misappropriation to deceit.

The accused has a life too, possibly a spouse, parents, children, relatives, a job or business enterprise, friends and extended network of people who have a modicum of respect. To pronounce guilt without the justice system being allowed to do its social duty is in itself a crime.

The understated fact in India is that a person's reputation can be destroyed by a simple untruth. The victim is normally not named. This petition is to request the media to refrain from naming the accused until the crime has been proven. This request is to afford the same respect to the judicial system, to the family/friends of the accused and also the accused. The government should make it mandatory for media to refrain from allowing the vilification of a person who may be innocent and also prevent the unjust destruction of homes and reputations which cannot be repaired with an apology.

We should punish crimes not carry out a crime against a person; the person should be innocent until proven guilty by a respected court of law. Tomorrow it could be me or God forbid you at the receiving end of a false allegation.

 

The Petition:

Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. Media should refrain from naming individuals who have an allegation sub judice. The government needs to pass an ordinance to this effect.