Women activists said on Friday that they were shocked at the manner in which photographs of two minor rape victims were carried on the front pages by a city paper.

The activists said Indian law clearly specifies that the identity of a rape victim must be protected at all costs and even her name is not to be revealed in the media.

"Just because the victim is a ragpicker or a bar girl and from a poor community does not imply she has no right to privacy," the activists of Pukar, an NGO and members of Network of Women in Media, said in a release.

"The media played a very circumspect role in the Marine Drive rape case by concealing the victim's identity. Why can't it extend the same courtesy to all victims?," the activists said.

In the recent cases, the positive role, the public has played in catching the policeman has been highlighted, the activists said.

"We hope that newspapers will respect the law of the land and not give free rein to sensationalism that is harmful to women and their families who have suffered so many trauma," they added.