A Delhi court on Wednesday acquitted former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson and sitting Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, along with another accused, Bhupinder Singh, in a case related to the alleged disclosure of the identity of a minor rape victim.
The case, registered at Burari Police Station in 2016, was transferred from the Tis Hazari court to the Rouse Avenue court in March 2025 due to Maliwal’s status as a Member of Parliament. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM) Neha Mittal delivered the verdict, stating that a detailed judgment would be uploaded later.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for the furnishing of bail bonds in light of the acquittal, to ensure the presence of the accused if the prosecution decides to appeal the ruling. Both Maliwal and Singh had been out on court bail during the proceedings.
In 2017, the Tis Hazari court took cognisance of the matter, observing that there were sufficient grounds to proceed against the accused under Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, punishable with imprisonment of up to six months or a fine of up to ₹2,00,000, or both.
The alleged offence was considered non-cognisable under Subsection 3 of Section 86 of the Act.
The court had noted that the investigation indicated an offence under Section 74 read with Section 86 of the Juvenile Justice Act. At the time, it issued a summons to Maliwal and Singh, both serving with the DCW, for October 23, 2017.
A petition to quash the FIR was earlier filed before the Delhi High Court, which had initially stayed the proceedings. However, the petition was rejected in 2025, allowing the trial to proceed.
The matter originally stemmed from allegations that the accused had disclosed details that could reveal the identity of a minor rape victim, a violation under the Juvenile Justice Act.
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