Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday met the 13-year-old mentally-challenged girl who is undergoing treatment at AIIMS after she was brutally raped and dumped near a railway track last week in South-east Delhi’s Pul Prahladpur area allegedly by a teenager who lives in her neighbourhood.
Gandhi, who reached the hospital around noon, met the victim and enquired about her condition from the medical team, according to sources. later BJP MP Meenakshi lekhi and former chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and president of women’s wing of Delhi Congress Barkha Shukla Singh also visited the girl.
Kejriwal met the victim in the morning and raised the issue of granting full Statehood to Delhi in order to curb such incidents which “occur repeatedly”.
Kejriwal said he has sought time to meet Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss how such incidents could be stopped by working together in the existing system.
Expressing grief over the rape of the teenager, Kejriwal said, “I have met the family members. We need to do something, Delhi is not a full State and that is why repeatedly such problems are coming up. Every incident of crime reminds us that there should be democratic control over the law and order so that the people and law enforcement agencies can work together.”
Kejriwal further said he has sought time from Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to discuss the law and situation in the national Capital.
The minor girl, who is an orphan and mentally challenged, is presently being treated at the AIIMS where her condition is stated to be stable and she may need a third surgery, said sources.
A statement from AIIMS said, “The patient is under treatment of Paediatric Surgery Department. 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.”
The victim lives with her maternal aunt at a village near Pul Prahladpur. She went missing on May 17 and a search operation was conducted but she could not be found. Early on May 18, the locals spotted the girl lying unconscious near the railway track and raised an alarm.
One person has been arrested in connection with the case.
DCW chief Swati Maliwal had met the girl at AIIMS on Wednesday and also issued notice to the Pul Prahladpur Police Station seeking to know why it was not informed about the incident.