A deeply-concerned Supreme Court and the Centre agreed on Wednesday that the eight-month-old rape victim admitted in a Delhi hospital should get the necessary medical treatment and special care, while rushing a team of two specialists from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to the child’s side to consider the possibility of shifting her to the premier institute.
A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra was apprised of the “brutal” act committed on the child in an urgent mentioning made by advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava in the morning.
The court immediately agreed to hear the advocate in the afternoon.
The Bench also asked the Centre to be represented, observing that “we are more concerned about the infant.”
Within a few minutes, the government’s three Additional Solicitor Generals — P.S. Narasimha, Tushar Mehta and Pinky Anand — made their presence in the courtroom, expressing concern for the child in one voice.
The court then passed an order for sending two competent doctors in a special ambulance to the Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital, New Delhi, where the child was admitted.
“The concerned doctors must appreciate the concern expressed by this court. The Secretary or any other person in-charge of Delhi Legal Services Authority shall accompany the doctors. They shall submit a report before this court by tomorrow (01.02.2018). In case they decide that the child should be shifted, they shall shift the child immediately to AIIMS under their personal supervision and make suitable arrangements. We are sure that the parents of the child shall fully cooperate,” the Supreme Court recorded in the order.
Mr. Srivastava had moved the court saying “when such a brutal sexual offence has taken place, the State has to show concern and appropriate treatment has to be given to the child apart from grant of compensation”.
