Complaint Against Minor Over PM Modi Remarks Withdrawn; Family Still Missing From Home

New Delhi: The lawyer at the Supreme Court,  who filed a case against a 15-year-old girl for verbally abusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Jantar Mantar protest, has decided to withdraw her complaint after the teen girl apologised to the Prime Minister and the PM publicly forgave her.

What did the complainant say?

Advocate Smriti Singh Chandel, who filed the complaint which led to registration of a zero FIR by the Gautam Buddha Nagar police commissionerate, said on Tuesday that she has withdrawn the case after the Prime Minister himself ‘forgave’ the girl for her ‘viral’ comments at the CJP protest.

“When the Prime Minister, who was the target of the abuse, has forgiven her, who am I to pursue the complaint,” Chandel said.

"I shared my decision with the Delhi Police investigating officer (IO) who approached me on the case, and they will proceed with the process of filing a cancellation report to close the case,” she added.

The rest of the girls apologized, too, she added, and she now has withdrawn complaints in all eight cases. I don't want to go into this much further as the Prime Minister has forgiven them, I have also made the Delhi Police and Crime Branch authorities aware of my decision," she said.

What is the case?

According to her police complaint, Noida Police had filed an FIR under Sections 352 and 353(1) and 356(1) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and then had transferred the case to Delhi Police. 

Hours after the FIR was registered, the girl issued a public apology.

“I went to Connaught Place with my friends in July. We came across a group of people who were using abusive and objectionable language against the Prime Minister. They influenced me and encouraged me to repeat those words, and I did,” she can be heard saying in the video.

She goes on to add, “I am not able to look anyone in the eye. I appeal to the entire country and everyone to please forgive me. I am only 15. This is my first and last mistake. I will never repeat such an act again.”

What did PM Modi say to the people?

PM Modi had also in a video posted on Instagram on Friday night said that he had forgiven “misguided children” who had abused him and his late mother using foul language and said that the nation should guide them on the right path.

"Abuses never solve anything. Let’s guide the misguided. Let’s work together. Let’s work for Bharat," PM Modi had said in a video after the incident.

Where have the family gone?

Security guards and maintenance staff at the housing society at Noida's Sector 168 where the teenager had been staying with her mother told PTI that the family was not at home. The police had visited the residence multiple times, the family had been out of the public eye since the video came up and the police personnel in Delhi and Noida had visited the house, they said.