New Delhi: A local court has acquitted former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief and current Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal and her then media advisor, Bhupinder Singh, in a case concerning the disclosure of a 14-year-old rape victim’s identity. The victim had tragically succumbed to her injuries in 2016.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal delivered the judgment, though a detailed order of the acquittal is still awaited.
The Delhi Police had filed a case against Maliwal and Singh, alleging a violation of the Juvenile Justice Act. They were accused of revealing the identity of the sexual assault victim by circulating a notice to print and electronic media outlets. Bhupinder Singh was specifically accused of preparing the notice, and both were charged with “intentionally circulating” it on WhatsApp groups.
As DCW chief, Maliwal had taken cognizance of the case, in which a neighbor had sexually assaulted the teenager and allegedly forced her to consume a corrosive substance, causing fatal internal injuries.