India
oi-Swastika Sruti
The Supreme Court on Thursday directed a Gurugram court to consider a protest petition filed by the family of a three-year-old girl not satisfied with the investigation into her horrific rape.
The Supreme Court suggested framing protocols to regulate pellet gun use instead of an outright ban, while hearing a PIL on injuries from the July 20 protest, and directed the Centre to preserve relevant ammunition logs.
A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was told by Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati that the probe in the case was complete and a charge sheet has been filed against the accused. The counsel appearing for the victim’s family said that they are not satisfied with the investigation conducted by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) comprising three women IPS officers which was constituted by this court and have filed the protest petition in the trial court.
The bench asked the trial court to expeditiously decide the protest petition objectively and proceed according to law. It also directed the lower court to decide the plea for compensation to the girl’s family and consider supplying all the related material to her family, so that they can assist the court. The bench said the issue of show cause notice to medical negligence and their complicity will be considered after the trial in the case was over.
It said the state government may consider taking departmental action against them. On May 11, the top court had permitted filing of a probe report of the SIT before the Gurugram court. The top court passed the order on the plea, filed by the girl’s father for a court-monitored SIT probe in the case. Earlier, the bench had pulled up Haryana Police and Gurugram’s Child Welfare Committee for “shameful”, “reckless” and “insensitive” approach in the shocking case of rape.
It had constituted the SIT of women IPS officers comprising ADGP Kala Ramachandran, SP Anshu Singla and DCP Jasleen Kaur to ensure a fair, dispassionate and independent investigation in the case. The top court also directed the Gurugram district and sessions judge to assign the case to the special POCSO court presided over by a woman judicial officer. Coming down hard on the investigation carried out so far and the gross mishandling of the case, the apex court had said, “Shame on you! Is this the way the state deals with crime? The child has undergone more horrifying repeated experiences than the crime itself”.
It said the manner in which the police authorities, ranging from the commissioner of police to the sub-inspector, have so far investigated the case discloses a “concerted and unwarranted attempt” to discredit the version of the minor victim and to portray the concerns raised by her parents as exaggerated and unfounded.
The minor was allegedly sexually assaulted by two female domestic helps along with their male accomplice for approximately two months in a society in Sector 54, police had said. Following allegations made by the child’s parents, an FIR was registered on February 4 under relevant sections of the BNS and the POCSO Act at Sector 53 police station.
According to the police, although the incident occurred between December 2025 and January 2026, the parents reported the matter to the police after the girl disclosed her ordeal to her mother.
(PTI Copy)
