Delhi Cantt Case: Plea In Delhi HC Seeks Registration Of FIR Against Rahul Gandhi For Publishing Photograph Of Rape Victim's Parents On Twitter

A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court seeking registeration of FIR and appropriate legal action against Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi for disclosing sensitive details and publishing photographs of family of 9 year old victim allegedly gang-raped and murdered in Delhi Cantt area on social media platform Twitter.

The plea filed by a social activist Makarand Suresh Mhadlekar through Advocates Gautam Jha, Pankaj Kumar and Sweta Jha seeks directions on National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to take necessary legal action against Rahul Gandhi for his tweet and also on Delhi Police to register an FIR against him under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act.

The plea also seeks directions on Twitter to remove the said post from their social media platform. The plea is likely to come up for hearing on August 11.

Placing reliance on the judgment of Nipun Saxena v. Union of India wherein the Supreme Court held that personal information and particulars of a victim or child in conflict with law cannot be disclosed in Media, the plea states that Rahul Gandhi's tweet is violative of sec. 23 of the POCSO Act thereby attracting a punishment of minimum six months and maximum one year.

It has also been stated that the aforesaid act is an attempt to take political mileage out of the unfortunate incident by posting the picture of victim's parents on Twitter.

"It is submitted that Rape, particularly that of a minor girl, is one of the grossest crimes committed against children. Disclosure of such crimes to the outside world only adds to the agony of the family of the victim and the victim herself. By doing so the Respondent No.1 has put the lives of the victim's family members at high risk." The plea states.

Title: Makarand Suresh Mhadlekar v. Rahul Gandhi & Ors.