Police commissioner & AIIMS to ensure child’s identity kept secret

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has instructed the police commissioner and AIIMS medical superintendent to ensure the identities of minor survivors of sexual assault are protected. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, presiding over a POCSO case, criticised the investigating officer for failing to safeguard the minor’s identity during both the investigation and medical examination.

The court highlighted the legal prohibition against disclosing a minor’s identity under the POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act. It directed the authorities to issue guidelines preventing future violations and to submit a compliance report. In the case, the court reduced the sentence of a man convicted of “aggravated penetrative sexual assault” from 20 years to 10 years, alongside a Rs 50,000 fine. The court found him guilty of an “attempt to commit” the offence under Section 18 of the POCSO Act, citing inconsistencies in witness testimonies.

The judge emphasised the importance of adhering strictly to laws protecting survivors’ identities.