Sexually assaulted minor girl’s identity disclosed on the net

A city-based NGO Daat Foundation has expressed concern over the circulation of photographs of a 13-year-old girl who faced sexual assault before being murdered.

The NGO maintains that despite repeated complaints filed with multiple authorities regarding the clear violation of Section 23 of the POCSO Act, which strictly prohibits disclosure of the identity of a minor victim, no deterrent measures were taken.

Dr Simranjeet Kaur, president of the Daat Foundation, stated that despite filing complaints with the Cyber Crime Branch, Jalandhar, the Punjab State Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in), no meaningful action has been taken so far.

"We had submitted the first complaint on November 24, but even after several reminders, there has been no response from the ACP (Cyber crime), Jalandhar. The commission, which is the monitoring authority under the POCSO Act, has also not taken any steps. The National Cyber Crime unit has acknowledged the complaint but is 'only following the procedure', she said.

“Even after multiple complaints, the girl’s pictures are still visible on the Internet, being misused in rallies, shared on social media pages, and circulated without any fear of law. What is the purpose of having these institutions if they cannot stop a direct and visible violation of Section 23 of the POCSO Act?” Dr. Kaur said.

She has questioned the authorities, “Justice delayed is justice denied. What is the use of removing the photographs after 15–20 days when they have already gone viral? Do we have to file a court case or a PIL in the High Court every time just to ensure that the authorities fulfil their basic duty? Will these institutions wake up only when violations become a trend? Are we really safe if laws meant to protect children are not implemented proactively?”

The Daat Foundation has demanded that the government must issue a clear SOPs and advisory for all departments, social media platforms, schools, NGOs, media houses, and the police authorities to prevent such incidents in the future. There must be a well-defined protocol for immediate takedown of such illegal content.

The foundation also stresses that district-level cyber cells must be strengthened, trained, and equipped with the latest technologies so that such cases can be handled promptly at the district level instead of being delayed through layered procedures.

The NGO has called upon the authorities and the state government to take immediate and strict action to ensure that all photographs of the minor are removed without delay, and to fix accountability for the negligence shown so far.