: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) issued a notice to the Delhi Police on Monday demanding as to why its Rape Crisis Cell was not informed when the police recorded the statement of the US national who was allegedly gangraped at a hotel in Connaught Place in March.
HC orders violated
Citing the High court orders in this regard, the Commission, in its official statement, said it deeply saddened to note that the Delhi Police did not inform the Crisis Intervention Centre/ Rape Crisis Cell counsellor of the Commission when the victim’s statements were recorded by the police on December 20.
“This is a very serious matter and a gross violation of the directives of the Delhi High Court in the case wherein it was ordered that the duty officer, immediately, upon receipt of the complaint/ information of a rape case, intimate the same to the Rape Crisis Cell/Crisis Intervention Centre which shall respond to calls of sexual assault at the police station and provide counselling and other support services to victims of rape. The same has been elucidated in standing order No.303/2016 of Delhi Police [sic],” the Commission said in its notice to the Deputy Commissioner of Police.
Status report sought
The Commission also sought the status report in the case, saying they had come to know through the media that the victim had found the investigation process ‘unsatisfactory’. The Commission has also asked the police to submit the information by January 3, 2017, failing which they will initiate appropriate action as per law.
Four persons— a tour guide, driver, cleaner and a hotel employee— have been arrested in the case. Tweeting about the same, DCW chief Swati Maliwal wrote, “Such instances defame India. Confidence of women in police decreases. Police should hv obeyed directions of HC n called DCW counsellor [sic]”.
‘Woman threatened’
The woman had alleged that she was raped by the men for two days. They also threatened her with dire consequences if she reported the matter to anybody. She had also stated that the accused had made a video of the act and had threatened to make it public if she reported the case.
