DCW ‘rescue’ former Delhi minister’s daughter, place her in shelter home

Delhi minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, a four-term MLA from Mangolpuri assembly constituency, however, denied the allegations and said his daughter was undergoing treatment for “depression”.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Tuesday said that they rescued the daughter of a former Delhi minister from her father’s house in Paschim Vihar on Monday night where she was allegedly held “captive and beaten”.

National Commission for Women Building. (Hindustan Times)

The commission said the woman, daughter of former Delhi minister Raj Kumar Chauhan, has been shifted to a shelter home for women. Chauhan, a four-term MLA from Mangolpuri assembly constituency, however, denied the allegations and said his daughter was undergoing treatment for “depression”.

In a statement on Tuesday, the commission said that the woman was held “captive” at her parental home was being “beaten” by her father. The DCW has also asked the Delhi Police to register an FIR against the politician. Police said they are looking into the case.

The DCW said the woman had written to the commission, seeking help.

A commission team reached Chauhan’s house and was told by the victim that she got married in 1999, but for the last 10 years she has been living separately at her parent’s house in Delhi due to some differences with her husband. She also has two daughters from the marriage. A divorce case is pending before a court in Chandigarh since many years, the DCW said.

“The woman alleged that her father (Chauhan) doesn’t want the case to be settled and that her husband had married another woman. The woman also wants to start a new life but is unable to do so because his family has made it a matter of prestige. She has alleged that her father illegally confined her in his house, does not allow her to go out, and often beat her up,” the DCW said in a statement.

It added that a joint team of DCW and Delhi Police rescued the woman and took her to Paschim Vihar West police station. Statements of the woman and her daughter were recorded and they were then taken for a medical examination before being placed in a shelter home.

When contacted, the former minister denied the allegations and called the charges “baseless”.

“Allegations of keeping my daughter in captivity and beating her are baseless and false. My two granddaughters are still living with us. If there was any truth in those allegations then why would they stay with us. My daughter is undergoing treatment for depression,” Chauhan said, adding that he would not divulge more details as it was a “personal family matter”.

Delhi police confirmed that cops accompanied DCW officials to rescue the woman. Deputy commissioner of police (Outer) A Koan said on Monday, the DCW had called the police control room informing that there was a case of domestic violence. “Our enquiry revealed that she was living with her two daughters aged 20 years and 13 years on a separate floor in the house of her father. Allegations levelled by the complainant were denied by her daughters. We are looking into the case,” the DCP said.

Chauhan, held important portfolios in the Sheila Dikshit cabinet. Ahead of Lok Sabha elections in 2019, Chauhan had joined Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after he was denied a ticket from Northwest Delhi parliamentary (reserved) constituency. However, Chauhan re-joined the Congress ahead of Delhi assembly polls in January 2020.