BJP IT Chief Shares Video of Hathras Rape Victim, Congress CM Discloses Identity and Pays Tribute Using Fake Image; Know What Law Says on Protecting Identity of Victims

New Delhi, October 3: A couple of politicians have revealed the identity of the Hathras rape victim on social media platforms. Amit Malviya, who heads the Bharatiya Janata Party's IT cell, has shared a video of the 19-year-old girl from Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, who died on September 29 days after allegedly being gang-raped. Amit Malviya's action has apparently revealed the identity of the Hathras girl, who is allegedly a victim of sexual assault. Meanwhile, Pudducherry Chief Minister and Congress leader V Narayanasamy also disclosed the identity of the victim while paying tributes to her. Hathras Girl Was Not Raped, Say Uttar Pradesh Police Citing FSL Report (Watch Video).

Sharing the Hathras girl's video, Malviya tweeted: "Haathras victim’s interaction with a reporter outside AMU where she claimed there was an attempt to strangulate her neck. None of it is to take away from the atrocity of the crime but unfair to colour it and demean the gravity of one heinous crime against another." Apparently, the BJP leader was trying to point out that the girl was not raped. But to make his point, Malviya shared the girl's video revealing her identity. Hathras Gangrape: Were You Sleeping For Two Weeks? Priyanka Gandhi Asks Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath.

Amit Malviya Shares Video of Hathras victim:

V Narayanasamy on Saturday shared two pictures on Twitter, saying he paid tributes to the Hathras victim. Narayanasamy can be seen paying respects before a fake picture of the victim. Moreover, he mentioned the widely circulated name of the girl in his tweet. A few days ago, Tamil Nadu BJP IT cell convenor CTR Nirmal Kumar also shared a video of the Hathras girl, saying: "She speaks fluently. Her tongue was not cut. Neither mentions anything about ‘rape’."

V Narayanasamy Pays Tribute to Hathras Victim Using Fake Picture of Her:

Here's What Law Says on Protecting Identity of Rape Victims:

It is illegal to disclose the identity of a rape victim under Section 228A of the Indian Penal Code. Section 228A of the IPC stated: "Whoever prints or publishes the name or any matter which may make known the identity of any person against whom an offence under section 376, section 376A, section 376B, section 376C or section 376D is alleged or found to have been committed (hereafter in this section referred to as the victim) shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years and shall also be liable to fine."

All sections mentioned above deal with non-consensual sex or rape. The 19-year-old Dalit died in Delhi's Safdarjung hospital on September 29. She was found brutalised on September 14. According to reports, in her statement to police, she alleged rape by four upper-caste men.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 03, 2020 02:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).