Kejriwal meets 13-year-old rape victim at AIIMS

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the 13-year-old mentally challenged rape victim at AIIMS on Thursday and made a case for full statehood for Delhi, refusing to take the blame for the crime against women in the city.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi also visited the hospital to meet the girl, who is an orphan.

The victim is in the paediatric surgery department, said Dr D K Sharma, Medical Superintendent, AIIMS. "Patient is stable at the moment but kept in close observation. She underwent two minor surgeries in past one week and might be required another corrective surgery later on," Sharma said.

Kejriwal said that Delhi needs to be granted full statehood to prevent such incidents from taking place. “Delhi has not yet got the full statehood status. If local agencies (police) work closely with people then the situation here can improve,” Kejriwal said after meeting the minor.

Kejriwal sought time to meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discuss with him in person measures to curb crime against women in the city.

“Getting full statehood for Delhi will take some time. But we (the Delhi government and the Centre) can come together to fight the incidents of crime taking place in the city. So I have sought time to meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to improve the situation here,” said Kejriwal. The Delhi government will lend support to the victim’s family, he added.

The mentally challenged girl was raped and dumped on railway track in southeast Delhi’s Prahlad Pur. The minor is an orphan who lives with her aunt in Badarpur Village.

Her aunt said that the girl had accompanied her to fetch water  on May 17, from where she disappeared. Locals found her in an unconscious condition near railway tracks the next day and took her to AIIMS.

Swati Maliwal, Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women met the girl and said that she has undergone a surgery and she will take months to recover from her injuries.

The commission issued a notice to the concerned police station to explain why it was not informed about the incident.

“Until police inform the commission about any such incident, the commission is unable to provide legal help or counselling to the victim or its family,” she said.

Police said that the accused, a teenager who lives in the neighbourhood, was arrested. They were trying to ascertain their age.

A case under sections 376 (rape) and 363 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered with Pul Prahladpur Police Station.