A 15-year-old girl, who had fled her home in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, was rescued at Kashmere Gate but faced a distressing situation. Reports indicate that she was made to wait for nearly seven hours as Delhi Police officers argued over jurisdiction regarding her case. This delay has been described as causing her significant harassment and trauma, as noted in a recent order from the Delhi Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
Police allegedly shifted jurisdiction
The deputy commissioners of police (north and metro) as well as the three officers to whom the show cause notice has been served did not respond to HT’s calls and messages for comment. She stayed at the station and subsequently went towards Jama Masjid and Kashmere Gate. However, personnel from Kashmere Gate police station, its police post and Kashmere Gate Metro police station arrived, “but kept shifting the jurisdiction between themselves. The report, separately examined by CWC, also recorded that the girl was taken to several locations identified by her along with police personnel. We work for you. CWC has sought explanations on why the girl was kept waiting until midnight, why an ATR was not prepared on the alleged attempt to lure her for labour or trafficking, and why no explanation was sought regarding the alleged misconduct towards Child Helpline staff.
The three officers have been directed to appear before the committee on August 19 with written explanations and action taken reports (ATRs). The girl left her home in Saharanpur on August 9 without informing her parents, boarded a train and reached Old Delhi Railway Station later that night, according to the order. Around 12.30pm on August 11, an unidentified man allegedly tried to lure her on the pretext of offering her a job. The helpline subsequently called 112 between 5pm and 6pm. Officials aware of the matter said she was eventually taken to an observation home around 2.30am on August 12. After the girl was taken to the shelter home around 2.15-2.30am, an investigating officer called her parents and instructed that she be handed over to them, according to the report.
CWC, in an order dated August 12 accessed by HT, took a “very serious view” of the handling of the girl’s case and issued show-cause notices to the station house officers (SHOs) of Kashmere Gate and Kashmere Gate Metro police stations and the in-charge of the ISBT police post. A “Good Samaritan”, identified as Raja rescued the girl and handed her to the Child Helpline booth at Kashmere Gate around 4.30pm. “Due to this jurisdictional dispute, the child was kept waiting unnecessarily till midnight,” the CWC said. At the ISBT police post, the in-charge allegedly behaved in an “inappropriate and disrespectful manner” with Child Helpline staff and refused to acknowledge a written statement recorded on the basis of the girl’s disclosure. Child Helpline staff allegedly told the officer that under the prescribed child protection procedure, the girl had to first be produced before CWC. The report alleged that police told the parents: “Do not listen to them; we are the police, you have to listen to us.
