As the election campaign intensifies, an unexpected development has emerged. A POCSO case that was filed against Congress scion Rahul Gandhi has again made headlines.
Hey @INCIndia,
Could you please explain to me which POCSO case is against @RahulGandhi, your PM candidate?
INDIA, think twice before you cast your vote! pic.twitter.com/da1d8m7YAU
— महारथी-മഹാരഥി (@MahaRathii) April 2, 2024
Netizens wondered if this was just speculation or actual news. Upon digging a bit, it was found to be indeed true. A POCSO case was filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The case stems from an incident in 2021 when Rahul Gandhi allegedly disclosed the identity of a victim protected under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and her family members on Twitter. NCPCR Chief Priyank Kanoongo stated that a case was registered against Gandhi under Section 23 of the POCSO Act, Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and Section 128 A of the Indian Penal Code.
He had visited the family of the nine-year-old Dalit girl who was raped, murdered, and hastily cremated by the perpetrators. Gandhi tweeted a picture with the girl’s parents. Following this, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued a notice to Twitter India regarding a photo shared by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, which allegedly revealed the identity of the family members of a rape victim, violating the POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act. The NCPCR requested Twitter (now X) to remove the post and asked the Delhi Police to take action against Gandhi.
A complaint was also filed against Rahul Gandhi by a Delhi-based lawyer, resulting in an FIR against him. The photo in question showed Gandhi with the parents of a Dalit minor who was allegedly raped and killed. In his post, with the image, he wrote, “The parents’ tears are saying only one thing – their daughter, the daughter of this country, deserves justice. And I am with them on this path of justice.”
Despite Twitter’s claim of taking down the tweet, NCPCR argued that the offense of disclosing sensitive information still stands.
This POCSO case that was filed in 2021 looms over Rahul Gandhi’s head.
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