SC reprimands Haryana Police for insensitive investigation of rape of girl in Gurugram, forms SIT

The Supreme Court has reprimanded the Haryana Police for insensitive investigation of the rape of a 4-year-old girl in Gurugram. For a fair investigation in the case, the Supreme Court of the country formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of women IPS officers. Also, the Supreme Court directed Gurugram Police to hand over the investigation to SIT. Max Hospital has also been asked to submit a report explaining why the medical opinion was changed.

Supreme Court reprimanded

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi rapped the Haryana Police, saying it had downgraded the seriousness of the offense in the FIR registered under the POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses) Act—that is, by removing a stringent section and replacing it with a lighter one. The Supreme Court also pulled up a private hospital doctor who had completely changed her stand regarding the child’s statement; The court said, “It is shameful for a doctor to do this.”

SC issues ‘show cause notice’ to police officials and CWC

The Supreme Court issued a ‘show cause notice’ to Gurugram Police officials and asked them why action should not be taken against them for shoddy investigation in the case. The Supreme Court described the police attitude as “shameful” and “insensitive”, saying, “Why can’t the police go to the victim’s house? Is he the king? The officer who went there was arrested on corruption charges.”

The bench also issued a ‘show cause notice’ to the Gurugram Child Welfare Committee (CWC), asking why he should not be removed from his post. The bench observed, “The attitude of the CWC members as revealed by the report of February 5 has added to the suffering of the victim. The entire police force—from the Commissioner to the Sub-Inspector—has made every effort to prove that the child has no evidence and the case of his parents is baseless. There is no room for doubt that an offense under Section 6 of the POCSO Act has clearly been committed.”

This instruction was given to the District Judge of Gurugram

Apart from this, the court directed the District Judge of Gurugram to hand over the case to a senior woman judicial officer presiding over the POCSO court in the city.