Maharashtra: High Court objects to use of woman's image without her consent in govt advertisements

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court on Monday termed the use of a woman's image without her consent in government advertisements as "commercial exploitation" and "quite serious" considering the contemporary electronic era and social media.

The observation was made by a division bench of Justices G S Kulkarni and Advait Sethna during the hearing of a petition filed by Namrata Ankush Kawale, alleging that her image was clicked by a local photographer, Tukaram Karve, an acquaintance, and illegally uploaded to the website Shutterstock.

Subsequently, the photo was used unlawfully by four state governments and the Union Ministry of Rural Development, as well as some private companies, in advertisements and public displays.

Taking note of the petition, the bench issued notices to the central government, four state governments, the Congress party and a US-based company.

The court has posted the matter on March 24.