- (1.) This writ petition which was taken up on 20th March, 2013, is based on a newspaper article which appeared in the 'Hindustan Times' New Delhi edition on 19th March, 2013, reporting a voyeuristic and degrading incident which is alleged to have taken place in the premises of the Delhi High Court. However, while considering the said newspaper report, certain wider issues also came into focus, such as the implementation of the directions contained in the judgment delivered by this Court in Vishaka and Others v. State of Rajasthan and Others (1997) 6 SCC 241 .
(2.) The two petitioners in this writ petition, Ms. Binu Tamta and Ms. Vibha Datt Makhija, are two learned Advocates of this Court, and they are seriously aggrieved, not only by the newspaper report, but by the fact that the recommendations and/or directions given by this Court in Vishaka's case (supra) have not been fully implemented in the courts. Having regard to the above, we had issued notice to the Delhi High Court represented by its Registrar General, the NCT of Delhi through its Chief Secretary, the Commissioner of Delhi Police and had also included the Secretary General of this Court amongst the respondents.
(3.) One thing should be made clear that this is not an adversarial litigation, but an application made to address some of the genuine apprehensions that women practitioners and employees of this Court and other courts have with regard to the invasion of their privacy. Having regard to the above, we also direct that the Union of India be added as a party in these proceedings, to be represented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.;