A 14-year-old Dalit girl on Sunday succumbed to the injuries she had sustained when her kidnappers made her a drink corrosive substance after raping and torturing her, reported The Hindu. The victim was abducted in May by a man who had assaulted her in December 2015. The girl was kidnapped only days before a hearing in the first case.
After the girl's death, the Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal took to Twitter and said, "How many Nirbhayas does Delhi want? We all simply wait for next Nirbhaya to die,". She said she had never felt so helpless, reported India Today.
The perpetrator was arrested on Saturday after the Delhi Commission for Women issued a notice to the city police questioning why they have not taken any action against him. The committee had also asked the police to provide security to the girl's family. According to the notice, the police had forced the girl to change her statement, giving the accused a clean chit.
The women's panel and the girl's parents said the doctors have told them that the girl died of internal injuries caused by the corrosive substance she was force fed. The police are waiting for the autopsy report for further investigation in the case. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North), Madhur Verma, said.“We will request the Delhi government to constitute a medical board for the post-mortem.”
The senior police officer said there was enough evidence that suggests that the girl was responding to leading questions when she said that she went with the accused willingly. According to Verma, the police interrogation reeked of conspiracy. The victim's parents have alleged that the police forced them to reach a compromise with the accused.
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