“As If the Victim Was a Table”: Supreme Court’s Sharp Indictment of Investigative Failure in Gurugram Child Rape Case
1. Introduction In a deeply disturbing case emerging from Gurugram, the Supreme Court of India delivered a scathing rebuke to the Haryana Police and associated authorities over their handling of the alleged sexual assault of a four-year-old child. The Court’s observations—describing the investigation as “shameful,” “insensitive,” and reflective of “complete recklessness”—highlight systemic failures in safeguarding child victims under India’s criminal justice framework. The case not only exposes grave procedural lapses but also raises critical questions regarding compliance with statutory mandates under child protection laws, constitutional guarantees, and established judicial precedents. 2. Factual Matrix 2.1 Nature of Allegations A four-year-old girl was allegedly subjected to repeated sexual assault over a period of approximately two months. The accused include two female domestic workers and a male accomplice. The offence reportedly took place in a residential society in Sector 54, ...