The Supreme Court on Thursday took serious view of allegations of harassment of a minor girl who participated in the Cockroach Janta Party protests in July.
The court said nobody can be permitted to browbeat a victim or her family for pursuing criminal proceedings.
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 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 right-wing influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj who claimed in a video that he had attacked her father during the CJP’s protest. Earlier, Delhi Police on September 5 had added provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and criminal intimidation to the FIR against Swatantra Bhardwaj over the alleged assault on the minor activist’s father during the CJP-led protests.
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.
“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, then it’s a serious matter,” the CJI led bench observed.
