NCPCR seeks action against Rahul Gandhi's for revealing Nangal rape victim's identity, issues notice to Twitter

Aug 04, 2021

New Delhi [India], August 4 : National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Tuesday issued notice to Twitter India asking it to take action against the Twitter handle of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi allegedly for violating the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act by revealing Delhi's Nangal rape victim's identity.
Taking to Twitter, Priyank Kanoongo, Chairperson of NCPCR said the child rights body took action after taking cognisance of reports saying the Congress leader sabotaged the identity of the minor rape victim by posting the photograph of her parents on microblogging site.
"Taking cognizance of the violation of the POCSO Act by revealing the identity of the parents of a victim girl by tweeting their photo, NCPCR issued notice to Twitter India to take action against the Twitter handle of Rahul Gandhi and remove the post," tweeted Kanoongo.
The NCPCR chairman also posted a copy of the letter issued to Twitter India.
"The Commission has received a complaint in which it has been brought to the Commission's notice that a photo of minor girl victim's family has been posted with the caption stating that they are the father and the mother of the victim child on the Twitter handle of Rahul Gandhi. In the said photo, the faces of the victim's father and mother can be seen Which thereby reveals the identity of the minor girl victim," the NCRCR letter said.
In this regard, the child rights body said that "Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 prohibits the disclosure of the identity of a child in any form of media and Section 23 of the POCSO Act, 2012 also states that no information/photo of a child should be published in any form of media which could reveal the identity of the child."
Earlier in the day, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra accused Rahul Gandhi of revealing the Nangal rape victim's identity and using the issue for fulfilling his political agenda.
He also demanded that the NCPCR take strict action against the Congress leader under the POCSO Act.
The comments came soon after the Wayanad MP met the family of the minor girl who was allegedly raped, murdered, and cremated without her parents' consent in Delhi's Old Nangal crematorium.

Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday assured his support to the family of the minor girl who was allegedly raped, murdered and cremated without her parents' consent in Delhi's Old Nangal crematorium
He also tweeted about his meeting and shared a picture of him with the victim's parents.
On August 1, a nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped and killed by a priest and three employees of a crematorium near Delhi Cantonment in southwest Delhi, the police had said.
Delhi Police registered a case against four accused on the basis of the statement of the minor's mother who alleged that her daughter was raped, murdered and cremated without their consent on Sunday.
The accused persons have been booked under Sections 302, 376 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code, along with the relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the SC/ST Act.