The Delhi High Court today pulled up the Union Government for disclosing the identity of a survivor in a Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) handbook published by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma told the counsel appearing for the Union of India to obtain instructions and come back with names of officials "responsible for the content".

“How is the name of the victim disclosed in this? How can you do that? You are the government of India. You yourself are publishing revealing the name of the victim and you are circulating it. It is on your official website," the judge remarked.

The Court was dealing a plea filed by a man accused of sexual harassment at workplace. He is seeking removal of his name from the handbook claiming that the matter is settled between the parties.

His counsel submitted that an order passed by a Labour Tribunal has been included in the handbook in question as an anecdote, revealing not only his identity but also of the woman survivor. It was also argued that the POSH handbook is present everywhere and anywhere on the internet.

The Central Government's counsel submitted that the handbook was published in November 2015 for educational purposes and that the parties recently settled the matter.

Questioning the revealing of identity of the woman, the Court questioned the Centre's lawyer by saying:

“So will it reveal the name of the victim? Even a judgement cannot….For educational purpose you don't need the victim's name, right? Even the judges write 'X'. There is a Supreme court judgement. There are directions of the High Court…..You cannot disclose the name. Now it is punishable.”

Justice Sharma also observed that there are various settled judgments which protect the identity of a survivor and that the authorities cannot be absolved of their responsibility to follow the law even if the parties concerned approach the Court later.

"Even if they are late in coming to the court, that will not absolve you of your responsibility of following the law. That's for everybody, even the government, right?,” the Court said.

The matter will now be heard tomorrow.