NCPCR expresses concerns for minor boy accused in Manipur incident of naked parading of women

New Delhi: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has taken swift action against three prominent activists, directing the Manipur Director General of Police (DGP) to file an FIR against them. The activists in question are CPI (M) Politburo member Subhashini Ali, Tarun Bharatiya from Meghalaya, and Kamaludeen M hailing from Tamil Nadu.

Amid the incident of two women being paraded naked in violence-hit Manipur, which is boiling and haunting the BJP governments both in the state and at the Centre, the Manipur police have filed an FIR against three activists for allegedly revealing the identity of a minor accused in the case.

The case was filed against CPI (M) Politburo member Subhashini Ali, Tarun Bharatiya from Meghalaya, and Kamaludeen M from Tamil Nadu after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) had written to the Manipur DGP, seeking strong action against the activists, as the NCPCR claimed that it caused severe mental trauma for the young boy.

The NCPCR's decision came following a complaint it received, pertaining to the alleged disclosure of the identity of a 14-year-old boy involved in a distressing incident that occurred in Manipur on May 4. The complaint accused the three activists of posting photographs of the minor, leading to severe mental trauma for the young boy.

As per the complaint, the activists' posts came in connection with the shocking incident in which two women were reportedly paraded naked. However, investigations have revealed that the minor boy was neither involved in the incident nor present in the district at the time of the occurrence.

NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo expressed deep concern over the matter, stating, "Subhashini Ali's post has threatened the security of the child. As a former MP, she should have been more cautious before disseminating photographs of a minor."

In a strongly-worded letter addressed to DGP Rajiv Singh, the NCPCR highlighted the seriousness of the issue and called for immediate legal action against the accused. The Commission observed that the act of sharing pictures of the minor appeared to be in violation of several legal provisions, including Article 21 of the Constitution, Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, and Section 66E of the Information and Technology Act, 2000.