DCW issues notice to police for not adding rape charge in minor’s death case

The dead girl’s parents had alleged that though the police had arrested five men in the case, they “failed to press charges of rape, murder, kidnapping, POCSO sections, and destruction of evidence in their FIR”, the DCW statement added.

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice to the Delhi Police for failing to press relevant charges in an alleged rape of a teenager who died a fortnight ago.

According to the DCW, the deceased went missing on January 16. She was found in Karol Bagh the next day, with grievous injuries, and later succumbed to her injuries. (AFP File)

“The parents of a minor girl approached the DCW alleging that their 16-year old daughter, who went missing earlier this year, was raped, possibly gangraped, and thrown from the terrace of a house in central Delhi,” DCW said on Sunday.

The dead girl’s parents had alleged that though the police had arrested five men in the case, they “failed to press charges of rape, murder, kidnapping, POCSO sections, and destruction of evidence in their FIR”, the statement added.

In the notice issued to the station house officer of Prasad Nagar police station, the commission also demanded action against various police personnel who allegedly threatened the president of the Ekta Vihar residents’ welfare association (RWA), who is helping the victim’s mother in seeking justice.

According to the DCW, the deceased went missing on January 16, following which her parents registered a missing person’s complaint in Connaught Place police station. She was found in Karol Bagh the next day, with grievous injuries, and was subsequently sent to Lady Hardinge Hospital. Upon their arrival at the hospital, the parents learnt that their daughter had been shifted to Safdarjung Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries on January 20.

“This girl went through unbearable suffering before succumbing to her injuries. She was from a very poor background and her father had expired a few years back. The commission shall leave no stone unturned to seek justice for her and will file an application in the court to seek victim compensation for the family,” DCW chief Swati Maliwal said.

A police officer who did not want to be named, said victim was not a minor. “She was 20 years old. We had registered a case of abetment to suicide and a section of rape was added later, based on circumstantial evidence,” he said.

Reacting to the notice, deputy commissioner of police (central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa said they had investigated the case as per the law and legal action has been taken accordingly.