The Supreme Court on Wednesday found that a four-year-old victim of sexual assault in Gurugram endured further distress from the Haryana Police whose “insensitive, reckless and wholly irresponsible” conduct magnified her trauma and the sense of helplessness of her parents.

In a shocking revelation of institutional failure, a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant found that besides the Gurugram Police, the local Child Welfare Committee and even the Judicial Magistrate, before whom the case came up, reneged in their duties to protect and deliver justice to the child.

The apex court said the nightmare of sexual assaults had occurred between December 1, 2025 and January 31, 2026. The crime came to light on February 2.

“The manner in which the police authorities, ranging from the Commissioner of Police to the Sub-Inspector, have so far investigated discloses a concerted and unwarranted attempt to discredit the version of the minor victim and to portray the concerns raised by her parents as exaggerated and unfounded,” the court order observed.

The Supreme Court said the evidence prima facie, without doubt, showed an offence under Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act committed on the minor victim. The court discovered that the police had tried to “dilute” the case for “wholly unjustified and extraneous reasons”, despite the gravity of the allegations.

“The present case reflects a disturbing pattern wherein the police authorities have made concerted efforts to shield the suspects, relying upon an irresponsible and casual report submitted by the Child Welfare Committee (CWC)... Unfortunately, even the Judicial Magistrate… failed to ensure that the investigation proceeded on the correct legal premise that a prima facie offence under Section 6 of the POCSO Act was disclosed,” the Supreme Court order recorded.

The court directed the police officers involved to show cause why appropriate disciplinary and criminal action should not be taken against them.

The Bench constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) of senior women IPS officers — Kala Ramachandran, Anshu Singla and Jasleen Kaur — to take over the probe of the case from the Gurugram Police with immediate effect. The case was directed to be transferred to a senior woman judicial officer handling POCSO cases.

Noting that the conduct and findings of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) only served to compound the victimisation of the child, the court directed the CWC chairperson and members submit their explanations within a week before contemplating action against them. The Haryana Women and Child Development Department has also been ordered to produce the appointment records of CWCs across the State.

The case is next listed for hearing on April 6.