SC Summons Gurugram Police, Issues Notice to Haryana Govt in 4-Year-Old Rape Case

New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Monday issued notices to the Haryana government and its Director General of Police (DGP) over the alleged rape of a three-year-old girl in Gurugram, expressing shock at the reported insensitivity and inaction of local police in handling the case.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi directed the Gurugram Police Commissioner and the Investigating Officer (IO) to appear in person before the court on March 25, 2026, along with the complete case file. The court also sought a response from the district judge regarding the magistrate’s handling of the matter  including a reported failure to record the victim’s statement away from the accused.

The assault is alleged to have taken place between December 2025 and January 2026 at a residential society in Sector 54, Gurugram. The parents approached police in February 2026 after the child disclosed the abuse to her mother. The girl subsequently gave a detailed statement before a magistrate, identifying the accused on multiple occasions.

The writ petition before the Supreme Court filed under Article 32 of the Constitution was mentioned urgently by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi on March 20, citing serious lapses by Gurugram police. Despite the child repeatedly naming the accused, the petitioners alleged that no immediate arrests were made, the crime scene was not secured, and CCTV footage was not collected in time.

The original investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Damod Rani, was arrested by the Haryana State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau on March 13 in an unrelated bribery case tied to another sexual assault investigation further raising doubts about the integrity of the probe.

Following the Supreme Court’s intervention on March 20, Gurugram police arrested three suspects on March 22: two women domestic helpers  Sangeeta (from Uttar Pradesh) and Pakila (from West Bengal)  along with Pakila’s husband, Kabir Mulla. All three are residents of Ghata slum in Gurugram. They were charged under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

During Monday’s hearing, the bench expressed strong displeasure, with reports quoting the court as being “shocked by the insensitivity” of the authorities. The court also asked the State Advocate General to furnish the names of women IPS officers available in Haryana signalling potential directions on how the investigation should proceed.

The petitioners have urged the transfer of the probe to the CBI or an SIT under the Supreme Court’s supervision, citing a complete loss of confidence in the local police machinery.

The matter is next listed for hearing on March 25, 2026, when the summoned officials are expected to appear and account for the steps taken so far. The identity of the child is being protected in accordance with legal norms.