01 March,2013 02:41 PM IST | | Agencies
The names of the three minor girls who were allegedly raped and murdered in Maharashtra's Bhandara district had to be expunged today after Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde identified them in the Rajya Sabha, attracting the ire of the opposition BJP.
Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde
Shinde read out a statement on the gruesome incident in Maharashtra where three minor sisters were kidnapped, raped and murdered last month. Their bodies were taken out from a well.
Shinde named all the rape victims, which according to the law is prohibited.
The matter was raised by Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, who said he shouldn't have named Bhandara rape victims.
"As per the Criminal Law Ordinance 2013, the identity of rape victims is never to be revealed. However, the home minister in paragraph two has given names of all the three victims," the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said.
"The whole house is discussing the issue. Home minister should consider this fact and withdraw the statement and have it corrected and place it again at 2 pm," he said.
Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien ordered that the names be expunged.
"It is a very important matter and it (names) should be treated as expunged and media should also not use the names in any reports else action will be taken," said Kurien.
