DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal.
New Delhi: The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) gave directions to Delhi Police to ensure security for the family members of the victim of a 2012 gang-rape case in Delhi after the Supreme Court acquitted the three accused.
The accused, in the case of raping and brutalising a 19-year-old, was acquitted by the apex court on Monday after a lower court awarded them the death penalty and the Delhi High Court upheld the same.
The girl, a resident of Chhawla, Delhi, was abducted from Qutub Vihar in 2012. She was subjected to severe torture before being raped and mutilated. She was found, a few hours after her death in a mustard field in Haryana, reportedly bled for three days and died.
The trial court awarded death in 2014 and the high court upheld the same, stating that the case was the rarest of rare.
Acquitting the accused, the SC observed that there were no adequate evidence and improper investigations with certain lapses.
DCW said in its notice that the matter is extremely sensitive as the perpetrators are roaming free.
"The commission has sought an action taken report in the matter from the police and has asked the police to indicate the level of security provided to the immediate family members of the victim. Delhi Police has also been asked to inform the commission about other steps taken to ensure their safety and security in 48 hours," said a DCW official.
"I am deeply anguished by the heinous crime that was perpetrated and the trajectory of the case, which ultimately led to the denial of justice to the deceased and her family. It is deeply upsetting on many levels and raises several questions on our system," DCW chief Swati Maliwal said.
"The commission is seeking a legal opinion in the matter. However, in the meanwhile, the security of the family is an issue of concern, and that is why we have issued a notice to Delhi Police to ensure the same," she added.