Delhi Court Criticizes Police Negligence in Four-Year-Old's Rape Case and Orders Rs 5 Lakh Interim Compensation

The court stated that the medical treatment would need to continue for approximately one year.

New Delhi:

"It is shocking that the police are working so negligently in such a heinous and sensitive matter," remarked a Delhi court on Monday during proceedings related to the brutal rape of a four-year-old girl.

Additional Sessions Judge Amit Sahrawat was presiding over the case concerning interim compensation determination for the child survivor. The court had previously requested a victim impact report (VIR) from the investigating officer.

Special Public Prosecutor Aditya Kumar represented the state in the proceedings.

"The brief facts of the case are that the victim is just four years old and she has been brutally raped by the accused, due to which the victim's both private parts got torn and she was admitted to a hospital for 15-16 days," the court observed.

The court further noted that the offense was "so heinous that although at present the victim has been discharged from hospital, her private parts are not naturally working, as the victim is dependent on alternative pipes placed in the side of her abdomen for passing urine and stool".

According to the court, the medical treatment needed to continue for around a year, with no certainty that her private parts would fully heal.

"The considerable fact is that neither the investigating officer (IO) is present, nor any person on behalf of IO is present, nor despite advance notice, any VIR has been filed.

"It is shocking that the police is working so negligently in such a heinous and sensitive matter. The conduct of the police is taken on record," the court remarked.

Criticizing the conduct of the IO and the station house officer (SHO), the court emphasized that the victim and her family should not suffer due to the negligence of police officials.

The court stated that it would proceed with interim compensation proceedings without considering the VIR.

A copy of the order was directed to be sent to the concerned deputy commissioner of police (DCP).

Regarding compensation, the court noted in a separate order, "The sufferings of the victim are beyond imagination as she is a child of just four years. This is the most severe form of pain and sorrow through which the victim is passing at present."

"In these circumstances, it is the duty of this court to help the victim and her parents and to alleviate the sorrows of this family to some extent," the court stated, emphasizing this was a fitting case for interim compensation.

After hearing the submissions from the child's father, the court ordered an immediate interim compensation of Rs 5 lakh to be disbursed to the child by the Delhi State Legal Services Authority.

"Needless to mention that the amount of interim compensation awarded by this order will be adjusted while granting/deciding the final compensation at the time of judgment," the court concluded.