FIR against Maliwal for naming raped teen

A first information report was registered on Tuesday against Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal for allegedly mentioning in a notice to police the name of a 14-year-old Dalit girl, who died three days ago after being raped repeatedly and forced to drink acid.

Maliwal, who was severely critical of police for not taking action against the rape accused, has been booked for naming the girl in DCW’s notice in the case to the Station House Officer of Burari Police station. The FIR has been registered on a complaint by the station house officer.

The girl, who was allegedly kidnapped, raped and forced to drink corrosive material, died on Sunday after battling for life for over a month.

She was first sexually assaulted in December. The accused Shivshankar, who was on bail in the first case, again allegedly kidnapped, tortured and raped the teenager in May.

The victim’s parents are hospital sweepers.

Maliwal dismissed the charge, saying she had not released the victim’s name and that she was not scared of the FIR.

‘DCW issues Notice to PS Burari for role in 14 year old girls case. 2 days later Delhi Police registers baseless FIR against me. Vendetta?

‘My fault: Raised questions on failure of Delhi Police in protecting 14 year old girl. Will raise more issues. Not scared of FIR. Jai Hind

‘Firstly, not released name of victim. Instead ensured proper medical care in Pvt Hospital. Police arrested accused only after DCW Notice (sic),’ she said in a series of tweets.

She also said why should the rape victim hide her identity?

‘Shouldn’t rapists be hiding? Is it the shame of a victim that she was subjected to cruelty?’ she said in another tweet.

The DCW had issued a notice to police on July 22 asking how she was kidnapped and raped just before a court was scheduled to hear the case.

“A case was registered against Maliwal for revealing the name of the Burari rape victim under Section 228(a) (disclosure of identity of the victim of certain offences) of the Indian Penal Code at the Burari police station on a complaint by the concerned SHO,” said a senior police officer.

The FIR against Maliwal came amidst outrage over the brutal assault and death of the teenager.

After death of the girl, Maliwal had tweeted ‘How many Nirbhayas does Delhi want? We all simply wait for next Nirbhaya to die (sic).’

Slamming the police, she said she ‘never felt so helpless. The girl was fed a corrosive substance which completely destroyed her internal organs and she died a very painful death’.

Maliwal had said it was only after the Commission issued notice to the DCP (North), the accused who was roaming free was arrested. She had visited the victim the day the notice was issued by DCW to the SHO Burari.

In its notice, the Commission had questioned the handling of the case and directed DCP (North) to provide security to the girl and her family besides asking why the police had not arrested the accused till date.

The Commission had also sought the details of action taken on the complaint of the victim’s parents regarding threat to their lives in an FIR filed on May 15 and asked the reasons for not registering offences under Section 3 of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The Commission in its notice had said, an FIR under sections 363 (kidnapping), 376 (rape) of the IPC and 4/6 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act was registered at Burari police station on December 2 last year against the main accused Shivshankar.

According to the FIR in May, just before a hearing in the court, the girl was kidnapped from her house following which, on May 19, another FIR was registered.