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The Delhi Police have registered a case against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj and others for allegedly revealing information that could identify the three-year-old girl who was allegedly raped at a private school in Janakpuri on April 30.
According to the FIR, registered on May 24 on a complaint by Praveen Narayan, a resident of Barakhamba Road, Bharadwaj disclosed details about the girl during a press conference on May 11 and later shared the information on his personal social media account as well as the AAP’s official handle.
“During the press conference, he revealed details about the chronology of events, the name of the minor’s school, class and age, which could reveal the identity of the minor,” the FIR states, adding that he also disclosed the age of the accused caretaker, which could further help identify the victim.
The FIR said Bharadwaj’s actions were not only unlawful but could also affect the minor’s mental and physical safety. “Bharadwaj is in a position of responsibility. Despite being a senior political leader, Saurabh Bharadwaj has dealt with the matter irresponsibly and shared sensitive information publicly,” it states.
Police said the case has been registered under Section 72 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and Section 23(4) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, all of which prohibit disclosure of a child victim’s identity.
The alleged sexual assault of the nursery student came to light last month after her family approached the police.
On May 1, Delhi Police arrested the school’s 57-year-old caretaker after the child accused him of sexually assaulting her in the school basement on April 30. He was booked for rape under the BNS and Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Pocso Act. A Dwarka court granted him bail on May 7.
Two weeks later, police also arrested a teacher in connection with the case.
Explaining why the matter was brought into the public domain, Bharadwaj said on Tuesday that thousands of parents whose children study at the school became aware of the issue because of the party’s intervention.
“The school management was standing with the accused instead of the survivor. All 60 CCTV cameras installed on the school premises were found to be non-functional. There is no evidence available because all the cameras were switched off, and the government is trying to conceal this fact. Instead of answering these questions, the government has now filed a case against me, claiming that I revealed the identity of the survivor,” he said.
Bharadwaj and other AAP leaders and supporters had staged protests demanding strict action against the accused and enhanced safety measures in schools.
Police, however, said disclosing the identity of a child victim is a punishable offence and can attract criminal action irrespective of the intent behind the disclosure.
“Further investigation into the matter is underway,” an officer said.
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