The National Human Rights Commission has got a monetary relief of Rs. 1 lakh for a homeless woman who delivered in a park after being hit by police in the Capital city.
The Commission took cognisance of the issue on the basis of a complaint. It said the woman, who was expecting a child, was sitting in a park at Pusa Road roundabout in Central Delhi along with her mother-in-law when the police arrived there and started chasing away the beggars and men and women who sold balloons and other knick-knacks at the traffic signal.
The woman, who worked as a caretaker at a nearby night shelter and had decided to sit out in the sun, was also chased by a policeman, who hit her on the leg. The pain and shock left her writhing in labour pain and she delivered in the park within minutes.
In response to notices by the Commission, an inquiry was conducted and the incident was confirmed. The policemen concealed the facts till their identity was revealed during the inquiry. A departmental inquiry was ordered against a head constable and a constable and a warning issued to the Station House Officer of Prasad Nagar police station.
The Commission also recommended Rs. 1 lakh as compensation to the victim and called for a compliance report along with proof of payment from the Delhi Government. It noted that it took almost a year for the Delhi Government to establish the identity of the victim and hand over to her the relief amount.
