Nagpur: A fresh controversy erupted on the Umred rape case on Thursday after a woman NCP member posted the name and photograph of the 25-year-old survivor on a WhatsApp group which consisted of her party workers from central Nagpur.If the offence is proved, the person posting the message can face an imprisonment term which may extend to two years and also liable to fine under section 228A of Indian Penal Code, said a police officer on the condition of anonymity. “There are several judicial verdicts prohibiting publishing names or revealing identities of the rape survivor in the public. Posting in social group can be held as publishing by judiciary,” said the officer. “We have received information of another person having posted the photograph of the survivor in similar manner elsewhere,” he said.The survivor was savaged by a truck driver and his cleaner at Gokul WCL mines at Umred on August 14 before the duo smashed her face in a bid to kill her so as to evade arrest. An all-party bandh was observed at Umred on Thursday with local BJP MLA Sudhir Parwe handing over a memorandum to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The arrested duo, Mamlesh Chakravorthy and Santosh Mali, have been sent to police custody for six days.It’s learnt that the city-based hospital, where the survivor is still fighting for life, has been witnessing a stream of visitors including political leaders and their supporters. During the visit of a former NCP minister, photographs of the survivor was also clicked. Later, the picture of the survivor along with her name were posted on the social media group.Neeta Thakare, member of the State Woman Commission, condemning the action of posting the survivor’s name and image in a social group, said she would take up the issue with SP rural Rakesh Ola. “It is absolutely wrong and an ignorant behaviour which should attract penal actions,” she said. The commission member had visited the hospital on Wednesday. She has also visited the spot and police station to take stock of the situation.SP Ola said he would look into the incident. “We will explore the possibility of any further action after I manage to look into the issue,” he said.In the meanwhile, former NCP minister Anil Deshmukh, after learning about the incident, apologized for the survivor’s name and image at hospital getting posted in a social group. He too assured to look into the incident.

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