Notwithstanding anything contained in the Right to Information Act , 2005 (22 of 2005), the contents of the complaint made under section 9, the identity and addresses of the aggrieved woman, respondent and witnesses, any information relating to conciliation and inquiry proceedings, recommendations of the Internal Committee or the Local Committee, as the case may be, and the action taken by the employer or the District Officer under the provisions of this Act shall not be published, communicated or made known to the public, press and media in any manner:
Provided that information may be disseminated regarding the justice secured to any victim of sexual harassment under this Act without disclosing the name, address, identity or any other particulars calculated to lead to the identification of the aggrieved woman and witnesses.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 16
Section 16 imposes a strict statutory prohibition on the public disclosure, reporting, or dissemination of the identity of the complainant, respondent, witnesses, and inquiry proceedings.
Section 16 enforces absolute statutory confidentiality, prohibiting public disclosure of complaint details, witness statements, and inquiry findings to preserve privacy.
The proviso permits information regarding the justice secured to any victim to be disseminated without disclosing the name, address, identity, or any other particulars calculated to lead to the identification of the parties.
Section 16 completely overrides the RTI Act and standard media transparency rules. Both the complainant and the respondent are shielded from premature public trials and online harassment, ensuring that domestic inquiries retain strict professional confidentiality.