Source : INDIATV NEWS
A Delhi court asked the Centre to sensitise police officials to optimise biological evidence collection to include specimens such as nail clippings and finger swabs in cases of digital rapes. The direction comes while convicting a man for raping a minor.
What is the use of biological evidence?
The biological evidence is used for DNA analysis. It helps establish the culprit’s identity.
What is digital rape?
Digital rape is a newly coined word which has nothing to do with the word digital (Vertual or online) but it refers to a molestation case in which the accused uses fingers or toes to touch the private parts of the victim. The ‘digital rape’ also refers ti a non-consensual assault of the victim’s body.
The court was hearing a case against the man who was charged under IPC for raping a minor and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for committing aggravated penetrative sexual assault.
Additional public prosecutor Sharwan kumar Bishnoi said the accused committed the offence in October 2021, and the crime was established through the ocular, medical and forensic evidence.
In an order dated January 17, the court said the prosecution proved the incriminating circumstances against the accused, including the minor survivor’s mother hearing her shrieks, finding her daughter in the accused’s lap and the injury on her intimate organs.
“There is absolutely no reason why prosecution witness 1 (mother) would falsely implicate the accused as he was a stranger to her,” the court said.
The prosecution duly proved the accused committed digital rape, it held.
“I must note since this was a case of digital rape, the investigating agency should have collected the nail clippings and fingernail scrapping of both hands of the accused. However, it was not done,” Additional sessions judge Babita Puniya observed.
The court recommended medical examination by pediatric gynaecologits in case of pre-pubertal survivors. ASJ Puniya further directed a judgment’s copy to be sent to the secretary of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Delhi Police commissioner for information compliance and necessary action.
(With PTI inputs)
