02 March,2013 08:19 AM IST | | Agencies
However, Shinde later retracted the statement and said, "I have withdrawn my statement. Even the Rajya Sabha Deputy Speaker has expunged the statement. I have also asked the secretary to inquire into this matter. Please let the matter rest now."
Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley pointed out the faux pas after the Home Minister finished his speech. "The identity of the victim is never disclosed. But the Home Minister has disclosed the names of the victims in his statement. I ask the Home Minister to take back his statement," said Jaitley.
Union Minister Salman Khurshid came to Shinde's defence and said, "I think what happened was clearly something that the Home Ministry doesn't want to insist upon and very graciously he withdrew. So I don't think there should be any issue on it at all."
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury, too, said the three minor victims should not have been named. "It is very unfortunate and shocking, it should not have happened," said Yechury. It has been nearly two weeks since three sisters aged 11, nine, and six were allegedly raped and murdered in the Bhandara district, but in the tiny village where they lived, nobody has been arrested yet.
The police admit it has suspects but has not been able to zero in on them due to the lack of witnesses. Sources have confirmed that the autopsy in the case was mishandled, which could impact the trial, if the culprits are caught.u00a0
