Pune: Demand For FIR Against Women Commission Chief Rupali Chakankar For Allegedly Revealing Molestation Victim’s Identity On Social Media

Pune: Demands have been made in Pune regarding a case being registered against the President of the Maharashtra State Commission for Women, Rupali Chakankar, for not keeping the identity of a victim in a molestation and atrocity case a secret and spreading it on social media. This overall case has shocked the citizens of Pune about the law enforcement in the district.

According to media reports, three girls in Pune's Kothrud area alleged misconduct, assault, and use of casteist slurs against police officials from Satara Police Station (in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar District) and Kothrud Police Station (in Pune City). This included officers, personnel, women, men, and retired police officials.

The victim girls had gone and did a sit-in protest at the Pune City Police Commissionerate. However, the police went ahead and registered a case of obstructing government work against the three victim girls. The girls then went to court, and by the court's orders, a case was registered against several police officials on Saturday.

How Is Rupali Chakankar Involved?

The victim girls approached Maharashtra State Commission for Women President Rupali Chakankar for help. Chakankar went on social media and raised an alarm and demanded justice for the girl. However, she was not careful and revealed the identity of the victim girls in such a sensitive case of molestation and atrocity.

Sources claim that the victim requested Chakankar to delete the post, stating that it was damaging her reputation, but the post was not deleted. The victim's lawyers are demanding that a First Information Report (FIR) be registered against Rupali Chakankar under BNS Section 356 (defamation) for allegedly disclosing the identity of the victim.

Why Is the Victim's Identity in Sensitive Cases Not Revealed?

The identity of a victim in sensitive cases like molestation or sexual assault cases must not be exposed primarily to protect their privacy, dignity, and future well-being. This is generally accepted practice by the media for preventing severe social stigma, trauma, and harassment for the victims. In Indian law, the BNS Section 72 (Disclosure of identity of the victim of certain offences, etc.) strictly prohibits any person from printing or publishing the victim's name or any matter that could reveal their identity in sensitive cases.

Violation of this rule is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment. Exceptions are limited, requiring written authorisation from the victim or the court. Media ethics dictate a total and absolute bar on publishing identifying details to avoid sensationalism and victim-blaming. This is a directive repeatedly reinforced by the Supreme Court of India to safeguard the victim's constitutional right to privacy.

Court's Decision Is Welcomed: Rohit Pawar

NCP-SP MLA from Karjat Jamkhed had said on X (formerly Twitter), “The court's decision to file a case against eight individuals, including police officers and personnel from Kothrud and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, under various sections for the incident involving caste-based abuse and obscene comments towards three young women in the Kothrud area, is highly welcome.”

“Even though the government supported the police who engaged in unlawful conduct using the power of their uniform, the justice system ensured they could not escape the clutches of the law. In this matter, despite the victims, Sujat G. Ambedkar, representatives of various social organisations, and all of us staging an all-night sit-in at the Police Commissionerate, the police had initially refused to register the case,” explained Rohit Pawar.

After orders from the court on Tuesday, a case was registered on Saturday.