Booked for revealing rape victim’s identity, court acquits Maliwal

A Delhi court on Wednesday acquitted Rajya Sabha MP and former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal, along with co-accused Bhupinder Singh, in a case of disclosure of the identity of a minor rape victim.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Neha Mittal of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the order and also listed the matter for furnishing bail bonds following their acquittal to ensure their presence in the event of an appeal by the prosecution. Both accused had been on bail during the proceedings.

The case, originally registered at the Burari police station in 2016, was transferred from Tis Hazari court to Rouse Avenue in March 2025 as Maliwal was a sitting member of the Rajya Sabha. She was summoned in 2017 by the Tis Hazari court after the trial court took cognisance of the matter.

A plea seeking to quash the FIR was filed before the Delhi High Court, which initially stayed the proceedings. The petition was eventually dismissed in 2025, allowing the case to proceed.

While taking cognisance on July 28, 2017, the trial court had noted that there were adequate grounds to proceed against both accused under Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. It recorded that the investigation indicated offences punishable under Section 74 read with Section 86 of the Act. Since the offence carried a maximum punishment of six-month imprisonment or a fine up to Rs 2 lakh, or both, it was treated as non-cognisable under Section 86(3) of the Act.

The court had then dispensed with the examination of the complainant, a public servant, and issued summons to both Maliwal and Singh through the SHO of the Burari police station for October 23, 2017.