As the Uttar Pradesh Women’s Commission on Monday issued notice to the state home secretary and the police for making public the name of a Noida gang-rape victim, the Centre directed action against erring cops in the matter.
The notice came as the fifth accused in the gang-rape case, involving a 17-year-old girl student of Class X, was also arrested by the state police on Monday. Anita Singh Verma, member of the state women’s panel, said the police and the home secretary had been asked to reply within 24 hours. “Any further action will be decided only after the receipt of their replies,” she said.
The state government has asked the Inspector General of Meerut zone to conduct an inquiry as to how the name of the rape victim was revealed by the police, official sources said. “We, as a matter of principle, do not reveal the names of the victims in such sensitive cases,” a government official here said.
Meanwhile, the Noida police nabbed the fifth gang rape case accused on Monday. Four accused were arrested on Sunday. All of them were produced in a court on Monday which sent them to jail in judicial custody.
The accused had allegedly gang-raped the minor girl in a moving car in Noida after calling her to a birthday party on Friday night. The girl claimed that she was forced to drink liquor and was forced into the vehicle and gang raped.
The Centre, meanwhile, directed action against the erring cops for disclosing the identity of the rape victim. It has sought a compliance report from the state government in this regard.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and UP State Women’s Commission have also issued notices to the state government and the police asking them to submit a report.
In an apparent damage-control exercise, SSP Noida Jyoti Narayan told reporters on Monday that an inquiry had been ordered into the issue and “necessary departmental action” would be taken against the personnel concerned.
“Police officers should know that identity has to be protected as per law in certain cases. This kind of attitude by the police is very dangerous,” Minister of State for Women and Child Development (Independent charge) Krishna Tirath said while referring to the Noida gang-rape case.
The ministry has sent a letter to the UP government asking it to sensitise the police officers about how to handle cases related to crimes against women. Tirath said her ministry planned to write such letters to all state governments.
In the letter to the UP government, Additional Secretary Sudhir Kumar has also apprised the state Chief Secretary Anoop Mishra that the incident was “all the more unfortunate as the identity has been disclosed by those who are themselves responsible for enforcing the law.”
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