New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday strongly criticized the Gurugram Police over their handling of the three-year-old girl rape case, questioning why officials who allegedly shielded the accused were not held accountable. The apex court highlighted serious lapses and insensitivity in the investigation of this shocking crime.
According to police reports, the three-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted for nearly two months by two female domestic helps and their male accomplice in a society in Sector 54, Gurugram.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi was hearing the matter. During proceedings, it was revealed that the Magistrate recorded the survivor’s statement in the presence of the accused—an act the court described as highly inappropriate and insensitive.
“It’s a glaring case where the police made all-out efforts to protect the accused. Unwarranted reports have been submitted… We doubt their professional qualifications or ability to render valuable assistance in such matters,” the Supreme Court said, sharply reprimanding Gurugram Police over the three-year-old girl rape case.
SIT Constituted to Probe Three-Year-Old Girl Rape Case, Police to Submit Records
The court directed the Haryana government to immediately notify a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and ordered the Gurugram Police to hand over all case records by Thursday. The SIT, comprising Haryana cadre women IPS officers, will probe the three-year-old girl rape case sensitively and thoroughly.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi informed the court that the child was taken to the police station and then to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) while police personnel remained in uniform. Shockingly, she was questioned in front of the accused, who were standing just four feet away, compounding her trauma.
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Justice Bagchi called this the “worst form of disrespect to a victim,” while Chief Justice Kant said, “You are disbelieving a four-year-old child going on CCTV! Shame on them! If the state has any respect for law, they will transfer them! The moment we take cognizance, you start arresting!”
The Chief Justice also questioned the appointment of CWC members, stating their behavior suggested they treated the child “like a table or chair.” Officials should have visited the child at her home to record her statement, he added.
“The family and child have been subjected to repeated harassment. The child endured further horrifying experiences after the incident. This repeated victimization is unacceptable,” CJI Kant said, according to LiveLaw.
The Supreme Court’s stern remarks and the formation of an SIT aim to ensure a fair, sensitive investigation into the three-year-old girl rape case and hold officials accountable for their failures.