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.
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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.