Did not reveal victim's identity, Lekhi tells NCW

BJP spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi Sunday denied revealing the identity of the victim sexually assaulted by Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal.

In a response to a letter by the National Commission for Women (NCW), Lekhi suggested that her Twitter handle was misused and called it a "politically motivated campaign".

"I have not disclosed the name or identity of the victim," Lekhi said in her reply to the NCW.

"...regret was expressed only because the handle and instrument was misused," she said.

Lekhi earlier said she left her phone unattended in the car and "somebody played a mischief" by sending the tweet.

She also said the victim's name was in the public domain already, and slammed the NCW for behaving partially and targeting her.

"May I mention the fact the identity of the victim was in public domain even before the tweet and no action was taken by the NCW with regard to it," she said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader referred to other cases where those who leaked names of rape victims were not booked.

"I only mention the cases of (Sushilkumar) Shinde and that of Alka Lamba and Tarun Gogoi where, in clearer and graver circumstances, no action whatsoever was taken," she said.

Home Minister Shinde named the three minor sisters raped in Bhandara of Maharashtra.

Lamba who had gone as part of an NCW fact-finding mission to Assam where a Class 11 student was molested by a crowd of over 50 men, also revealed the victim's name in a press conference.

In the same case, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's office sent out a statement revealing the victim's name.