Dalit rape victim dies, angry DCW lashes out at Delhi police

New Delhi, Jul 25: A 14-year-old Dalit rape victim who was repeatedly sexually assaulted and was forced to drink a corrosive substance, died at a hospital here on Sunday, prompting an anguished DCW chief to lash out at the Centre and Delhi police on the issue of womens safety.

"How many Nirbhayas does Delhi want? We all simply wait for next Nirbhaya to die," the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal said on Twitter, adding she "never felt so helpless."

"The girl was fed a corrosive substance which completely destroyed her internal organs and she died a very painful death," she said, adding that it was only after the Commission issued notice to the DCP (North), the accused who was roaming free was arrested.

She asked the Centre to set up a high-level ministerial committee on women safety under the leadership of Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

"With parents of 14-year-old victim. V poor n inconsolable. How many Nirbhayas does Delhi want? We all simply wait for next Nirbhaya to die.

"To add insult to injury, Home Ministry scrapped Women Safety Sp Task Force in Delhi set up wen Nirbhaya died stating its mandate finished!

"She is dead ! We the system is responsible. Never felt so helpless. Need to do something. Come on people ...(sic)," Maliwal said in a series of tweets.

Maliwal was alluding to the Centres recent decision to disband the Special Task Force on womens safety in Delhi. It was established in 2013 in the aftermath of the brutal Nirbhaya gangrape.

On Friday, the DCW has issued a notice to DCP (North) questioning the handling of the case of the Dalit minor who was allegedly kidnapped by the accused just before a hearing in her rape case, subjected to sexual assault several times and forced to drink corrosive substance.

In the notice, the Commission had directed DCP (North) to provide security to the girl and her family and asked why the police had not arrested the accused till date.

The Commission had also sought the details of action taken on the complaint of the victims parents regarding threat to their lives in an FIR filed on May 15 and asked the reasons for not registering offences under Section 3 of the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

PTI