New Delhi, July 21: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken note of a complaint regarding the safety of children during the ‘Chalo Parliament’ protest in the national capital. The complaint alleges that a 12-year-old girl sustained a head injury during the demonstration.
A bench led by member Priyank Kanungo has issued notices to the Secretary of the Delhi Government’s Department of Social Welfare, the Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, and the Delhi Police Commissioner. They have been instructed to investigate the allegations and submit an Action Taken Report (ATR) within two weeks.
This action has been initiated under Section 12 of the Human Rights Protection Act, 1993, which empowers the NHRC to investigate alleged violations of human rights. According to the complaint, minors were endangered during the protest held on Monday, with reports claiming that a 12-year-old girl was injured.
The complainant has urged the NHRC to intervene, ensuring the child’s immediate rescue and medical treatment, presenting her before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) as per law, identifying the individual who brought the child to the protest, and taking appropriate action under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The complaint also requests that if any official has mistreated the child, action should be initiated against them. Furthermore, it alleges that information disseminated by journalist Sourav Das on the social media platform ‘X’ may be misleading. The NHRC has been asked to direct appropriate legal action against him and the platform if the allegations are found to be true.
After reviewing the complaint, the NHRC has determined that the allegations appear to relate to a violation of the child’s human rights. Consequently, the commission has directed the relevant authorities to ensure the immediate rescue of the child, provide necessary medical care, and present her before the CWC as per legal requirements.
The NHRC has also instructed officials to identify the individual responsible for bringing the child to the protest and to take appropriate action under the Juvenile Justice Act.
Moreover, the NHRC has ordered that if any officer is found to have mistreated the child, appropriate action should be initiated. Additionally, if the information spread by Sourav Das on ‘X’ is found to be false or misleading, immediate legal action should be taken against him and the social media platform, with a detailed ATR to be submitted within two weeks.
In the midst of this controversy, the Delhi Police issued a clarification on social media, refuting claims that a 12-year-old girl and 40 to 50 others sustained head injuries during the protest.
In a fact-check post on ‘X’, the Delhi Police stated, “This information is incorrect. The claims made in the post are not true. Please do not spread or forward misleading information.”
Commenting on the matter, Priyank Kanungo stated, “We received a complaint that an individual named Sourav Das claimed through his ‘X’ handle that a 12-year-old girl was beaten, dragged by her hair, and sustained serious injuries. This incident appears serious, and we have taken immediate cognizance of it. Who brought this 12-year-old girl to the protest? The first step should be to identify her and ensure her safe exit. If the girl is injured, arrangements for her treatment should be made. Meanwhile, we have also received information that the Delhi Police has officially stated that this news is false. We have warned the Delhi Police that if Sourav Das is spreading false information, creating unrest, disrupting law and order, and endangering human lives, immediate legal action should be taken against him.”
He further added, “Our complaint was solely about the use of a minor in the protest. This violates Sections 83 and 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act. If someone brings a minor to a protest site in this manner, they could face serious legal troubles and even imprisonment.”
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