New Delhi, August 13 (HS): In a significant legal reprieve, Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal and former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Public Relations Officer Bhupendra Singh have been acquitted by a Rouse Avenue Court in a sensitive 2016 case involving the alleged disclosure of a minor rape survivor’s identity.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal delivered the verdict, clearing both of all charges under Section 228A of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 74 and 86 of the Juvenile Justice Act. The court had previously framed charges against the duo on April 28, 2025, after the Delhi High Court in February refused Maliwal’s plea to quash the FIR.

The case traces back to January 2016, when a 14-year-old girl and her mother accused a man of abduction and sexual assault. While the survivor’s statement to a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC reportedly differed from her initial complaint, leading to the accused being granted bail, Maliwal — then DCW Chairperson — wrote to the Delhi Chief Minister, alleging the girl had altered her testimony under fear.

According to the prosecution, that letter was subsequently shared with media outlets by Bhupendra Singh via a WhatsApp group, inadvertently revealing the survivor’s identity — a violation of laws protecting victims of sexual offences. This led to an FIR being filed by Burari Police.

Originally heard at Tis Hazari Court, the case was transferred to the Rouse Avenue Court in March 2025 due to Maliwal’s status as an MP. After months of proceedings, the court found insufficient grounds to hold the two guilty, bringing an end to a nine-year-old legal battle.

The acquittal underscores the delicate balance between advocacy for survivors and the strict confidentiality mandated under Indian law — a tension at the heart of many such high-profile cases.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar