The Supreme Court on Wednesday criticised the Haryana Police for allegedly derailing the investigation into the rape of a four-year-old girl in Gurugram, reported Live Law.

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi stated that “all-out attempts” were made to “protect the accused” and that the police tried to dilute the gravity of the offence.

The court noted that there was prima facie evidence to indicate that the offence of “aggravated penetrative sexual assault” under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act section 6 was committed.

However, the police only registered a first information report for “aggravated sexual assault” under Section 10 of the Act, which is a lesser offence, the court added.

While section 6 provides for at least 20 years in jail, section 10 mandates only 10 years.

The bench said that the “entire police force, from the commissioner to the sub inspector, made all attempts to prove that the child had no proof or that the parents did not make any sense”.

“Child went through more horrifying experience after what happened with her,” the legal news outlet quoted Kant as saying. “Repeated victimisation.”

He added: “You are disbelieving a four year child…Shame on them.”

The court constituted a Special Investigation Team led by Indian Police Service officer Nazneen...

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