Following fears expressed by Nirbhaya’s parents over imminent release of a juvenile rape accused in the 2012 Delhi rape case, Delhi Police are mulling if the National Security Act can be invoked to stop the juvenile’s release as he may have been radicalised by a fellow inmate, sources said on Wednesday.
Officials said authorities want to stop the juvenile from leaving Delhi or go to Srinagar – the native place of the convict who indoctrinated him – as any such move may stoke more trouble and communal tensions. Delhi Police officials, however, refused to confirm the news.
Sources said Delhi Police commissioner BS Bassi had a closed door meeting on Wednesday with the Intelligence Bureau chief and senior officers, exploring legal options. The juvenile is set to be released on December 15.
The juvenile, who is 21 now, dodged the gallows because he was 17 years and nine months old at the time of his arrest in the shocking December 16, 2012 rape case that triggered a mass movement on women’s safety and led to sweeping changes in the country’s rape laws. Three of his co-accused are currently on death row.
Sources in Delhi government said they would ensure the safety of the juvenile and help him find a job once he was released from the north Delhi detention house.
The seemingly lenient sentence of three years given to juveniles also sparked a nationwide debate.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had on Tuesday issued notices to the Centre and Delhi Government on this issue.