The Supreme Court on Thursday took serious note of allegations that a minor girl who participated in the July Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests was harassed, saying nobody can be permitted to browbeat a victim or her family for pursuing criminal proceedings.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to ensure action on the girl's FIR and sought report from the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments on the issue.
"Such matters cannot be taken lightly. Nobody should be protected if violence against a child is involved... if persons accused of such acts were roaming free and attempting to browbeat the child or her family so that they do not pursue criminal proceedings, it would be a serious matter.
"There cannot be any second opinion about it. Such matters cannot be taken lightly. Nobody should be protected. If violence against a child is involved and persons are roaming free and trying to browbeat the child or the family so that they do not pursue the criminal proceedings, that may be a serious matter," the bench observed.
The counsel appearing for the 14-year old girl told the court that she was harassed and her house was vandalised after she registered the FIR against a person who claimed in a video that he had attacked her father during the CJP's protest.
Without referring to any names, the lawyer said instead of prosecuting those who were accompanying the accused and were allegedly caught on camera, an FIR has been registered against the child.
This is also contrary to the Supreme Court's earlier order, the lawyer said, adding that video can be placed on record showing that the girl's residence had been subjected to stone pelting.
"The high-powered committee will take time, but if something happens to the child in the meantime, that cannot subsequently be reversed or repaired through the committee," the counsel submitted.
Responding to the submission, the CJI said, "If there are anti-social elements who indulged in violence against child, and they are roaming free, and are trying to browbeat the child, that may be a serious thing."
Earlier, Delhi Police on September 5 had added provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the FIR against Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj over the alleged assault on the minor activist's father during the CJP-led protests.
Bhardwaj was detained in Bulandshahr after the CJP staged a protest outside the Parliament Street police station demanding his arrest over the alleged assault.
The action follows outrage over an interview in which Bhardwaj claimed he had "cracked the skull" of the minor activist's father during the July 20 protest and escaped arrest because of his political connections.
(With inputs from PTI)
