Amidst the escalating fervour of the election campaign, a surprising revelation has surfaced, once again thrusting Congress scion Rahul Gandhi into the limelight: a resurfacing of a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) case against him.
Initially met with skepticism among netizens, the veracity of this development has been confirmed upon deeper investigation. Indeed, a POCSO case has been lodged against the prominent Congress leader.
The genesis of this legal case traces back to a distressing incident in 2021, when Rahul Gandhi allegedly disclosed the identity of a victim protected under the POCSO Act, along with her family members, through a post on Twitter. Priyank Kanoongo, Chief of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), revealed that Gandhi faces charges under Section 23 of the POCSO Act, Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and Section 128 A of the Indian Penal Code.
The catalyst for this controversy was Gandhi’s visit to the bereaved family of a nine-year-old Dalit girl who had been raped, murdered, and hastily cremated.
Subsequently, Gandhi shared a photograph with the girl’s parents on social media. This action prompted the NCPCR to issue a notice to Twitter India, alleging that the post violated the POCSO Act and the Juvenile Justice Care and Protection of Children Act. The NCPCR urged Twitter (now referred to as X) to remove the post and called upon the Delhi Police to take necessary legal action against Gandhi.
Further complicating matters, a complaint was lodged against Rahul Gandhi by a lawyer based in Delhi, leading to the filing of an FIR (First Information Report) against him. The contentious photo in question depicted Gandhi alongside the parents of the deceased Dalit minor.
In his accompanying statement, Gandhi expressed solidarity with the grieving family, proclaiming, “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 assertion of removing the tweet in question, the NCPCR maintains that the gravity of disclosing sensitive information persists, leaving this POCSO case from 2021 hanging ominously over Rahul Gandhi’s political future.
