The Delhi High Court in the case Court on Its Own Motion v. Government Of NCT Of Delhi observed and has taken the suo motu cognizance of an alleged sexual assault on a 3-year-old minor girl by a cleaner working in her school inthe city of South Delhi area.
The Division bench comprising of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Saurabh Banerjee in the case observed and has registered the suo motu PIL moved on the basis of the an article published in the Times of India on August 04, 2023 titled, the 3-year-old sexually assaulted by school cleaner in south Delhi.
The court in its order stated passed on August 08, 2023 stated that it has been brought to the notice of this Court by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Subramonium Prasad, the news item published in the Times of India in respect of a three-year-old girl child who was sexually assaulted by a school cleaner in South Delhi.
Further, the court stated to register the suo motu PIL which being on the basis of the newspaper report.
The court in the case observed and has issued the notice to the State and seek the status report within the period of two weeks in respect of action taken in the matter by the Delhi Police as well as by the education department.
However, Mr. Tripathi, while filing the status report, will mask the name of the girl child as well as the names of the parents of the girl child, and shall undertake all the necessary measures which needs to be taken to protect the identity and right to privacy of the girl child.
It has also been directed by the said court to the counsel appearing for the Delhi Government to take care that the media acts in compliance with the statutory provisions as contained in Section 23 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act), 2012.
Accordingly, the court listed the matter to be next heard on September 01, 2023.