Homeless woman killed, NGO blames cops

A 32-year-old homeless woman staying on the pavements near Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place was allegedly beaten to death by two policemen on Sunday morning, an NGO has alleged.

A 32-year-old homeless woman staying on the pavements near Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place was allegedly beaten to death by two policemen on Sunday morning, an NGO has alleged.

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Refuting the allegation, the Delhi Police said the woman was a smack addict and died of drug overdose. They said the victim’s preliminary autopsy report did not show any external injury marks.

The NGO— Indo-Global Social Service Society (IGSSS) —said the woman, mother of three children, was beaten up with sticks by two constables of the Connaught Place police station Ravi and Dharamvir - in front of her elder sister and kids around 6:30 am near a hotel in Connaught Place.

The victim, Alka, sustained severe injuries after she was hit on her head, allegedly by two constables. She collapsed after which other police personnel rushed her to a government hospital where doctors pronounced her dead on arrival.

“The woman was a smack addict and the two policemen had only attempted to remove her from a subway. Smack addicts generally rob subway users and use sharp weapons,” said a police officer.

SBS Tyagi, deputy commissioner of police (New Delhi), said they had received a complaint from the NGO and an inquiry had been ordered into the matter. “Her preliminary autopsy report said she had no external injury marks on her body,” said Tyagi.

Police said the autopsy was conducted by a board of doctors. “This was an independent enquiry,” Tyagi said.

The IGSSS head claimed that Alka’s elder sister was an eyewitness. “She narrated the incident to us after which we lodged a complaint at the Connaught Place police station. We have received several complaints from homeless people about police brutality,” said Indu Prakash Singh.

Delhi has 150 night shelters that can accommodate at least 14,000 persons.