Guwahati: Assam State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (ASCPCR) has asked the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Assam Police to probe the incident of ‘identity disclosure’ of a minor rape victim on social media.
The photo of the 12-year-old minor girl, who was raped and murdered, went viral on social media, which has forced the ASCPCR to write to the CID to take up a suo moto case on it.
A senior member of the ASCPCR said, “The disclosure of the identity of the rape victim is an offence under Section 23(2) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2005.”
Section 23(2) of the POCSO Act prohibits the disclosure of the identity of a child victim of sexual offences “including his name, address, photograph, family details, school, neighbourhood or any other particulars which may lead to the disclosure of the identity of the child.”
“Violation of this prohibition is a criminal offence, punishable with six months to one year in jail as well as a fine,” he said.
Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act prohibits the disclosure of the “name, address or school or any other particular,” which can be used to identify a child who is a victim of any crime, or even a child who is accused of committing a crime, as well as children who are witnesses to a crime.
“Violating this prohibition is also a criminal offence, punishable with up to six months’ imprisonment, and/or a fine,” he also said.
The ASCPCR also wrote to the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Tinsukia district to probe the entire incident and submit a report before the commission.
A 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered by a man, considered close to the victim’s family, who dumped her body in a septic tank at Margherita town on May 1.
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The accused, Anan Tanti alias Swapan (36), was arrested by police from Deomali in Arunachal Pradesh.
“But on the way to Margherita police station, the accused tried to jump from the vehicle to escape from police custody. But the police fired and bullets hit his backside. He was immediately shifted to Addam Medical College Hospital here,” said a senior police official of Tinsukia district.
Also Read | Assam Rape case: Accused injured in police firing