Kejriwal, Sonia meet minor rape survivor at AIIMS

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday met the 13-year-old mentally challenged rape survivor at AIIMS and raised the issue of full statehood over the prevailing law and order situation in the national Capital.

“I’ve met the girl and her family. Delhi is not a full state, thus this kind of problems are coming repeatedly. And every such incident cries out for having full control over law and order democratically,” Kejriwal said after meeting the victim.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief also said that he had sought an appointment with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. “Today (Thursday) I have sought an appointment with Rajnath Singh, to discuss full statehood,” Kejriwal said, adding: “But as it (full statehood) will take some time, we have to deal with local issues democratically by taking the public and law enforcement agencies together.”

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday also met the 13-year-old at AIIMS. According to sources, Gandhi reached the hospital at around noon and met the victim. Later BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi and former chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) and president of women’s wing of Delhi Congress Barkha Shukla Singh also visited the girl.

DCW chief Swati Maliwal had met the girl at AIIMS on Wednesday and also issued notice to the Pul Prahladpur police station seeking to know why it was not informed about the incident.

The girl, who is an orphan was residing with her relatives in South Delhi’s Badarpur area, is under treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for the past one week for critical injuries she received after a sexual assault by a neighbour. The accused was arrested on Wednesday. The girl’s condition is said to be stable.