MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari booked for posting pics of rape victim's kin on social media: Police

Airajpur (MP): Police on Monday registered a case against Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari and party MLA Vikrant Bhuria for allegedly disclosing the identity of family members of a 11-year-old victim of gang rape by posting their pictures on social media, an official said.

Patwari and Bhuria, the MLA from Jhabua, and their supporters met family members of the rape survivor at a village under Jobat police station limits on Sunday.

"Patwari and Bhuria visited the village to meet the rape victim's family members on Sunday afternoon. They later shared the pictures of the victim's family members on their X account in violation of the directives of the Supreme Court," said Superintendent of Police Rajesh Vyas.

Based on a complaint, they were booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, he said.

The tribal girl was allegedly raped by two boys, in the age group of 14 to 18 years, in a field in a village under the Jobat police station area of Alirajpur district on Friday, according to police.

Three boys, including the one who helped the two accused flee from the scene, were booked and detained under IPC and POCSO provisions, and sent to a juvenile home, a police official said on Sunday.