The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken a stern stand against the alleged involvement of minor children in a public protest in Mumbai and the subsequent circulation of their media content online. Acting under Section 12 of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993, the commission initiated suo motu proceedings led by a bench headed by NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo.
Commission Directs Strict Legal Action
The intervention follows a formal complaint filed by Satish Vaid, Head of Intervention at the Seva Nyay Utthan Foundation. The complaint highlighted disturbing visuals on social media showing a child being lifted above a crowd while provocative slogans were raised. Concerns were raised that minors might have been deliberately used as shields to bypass potential police actions.
Consequently, the NHRC has issued notices to the Mumbai Police Commissioner, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Grievance Officer of X Corp. in India, and the Principal Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department of Maharashtra.
Forensic Investigation of Digital Evidence
The commission ordered the Mumbai Police to thoroughly examine all digital evidence, including photographs, videos, and social media posts, and register an FIR wherever a cognizable offense is made out. Investigators have been tasked with identifying the organizers, coordinators, and adults who facilitated the participation of minors.
Furthermore, authorities have been instructed to secure and conduct forensic examinations of chat groups to determine if the deployment of children was pre-planned to evade law enforcement.
