The West Bengal Commission for Protection of Child Rights (WBCPCR) has issued a show-cause notice to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya for allegedly revealing the identity of a deceased minor girl from Canning in South 24-Parganas district.
The Commission, a statutory body, has accused Malviya—who heads the BJP’s IT cell—of violating Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act by posting the girl’s photograph on social media. The image was allegedly used in a post from Malviya’s account on X (formerly Twitter), where he claimed that the minor was gang-raped and murdered, citing it as an example of the deteriorating safety of women in Bengal.
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Commission chairperson Tulika Das said that although there was an attempt to blur the photograph, the identity of the minor could still be discerned. “This is a violation of child rights laws. We have taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and sent a show-cause notice to Amit Malviya,” Das stated. The body of the minor girl was recovered from her home in Canning last week. While Malviya alleged rape and murder, Baruipur Police said the post-mortem did not indicate any signs of sexual assault. “Initial investigation suggests she may have died after consuming an ‘unknown poison’,” a senior officer said. West Bengal Police have also registered a criminal case against unidentified individuals for publishing the minor’s photograph on social media platforms.
When asked whether the Commission’s action was politically motivated given Malviya’s position as a senior opposition figure, Das said the commission operates independently and has taken similar action in previous instances, including against the use of children during political campaigns in Dum Dum in April 2024 and in the Sandeshkhali controversy. Till Saturday, Malviya had not responded to the notice.