NEW DELHI, Dec 24:
The health of the 23-year-old gangrape victim deteriorated today after she showed tendencies of internal bleeding, with doctors calling her condition “very serious and very critical” but psychologically fit.
Doctors at the Safdarjung Hospital, where she was rushed to after being gangraped and physically assaulted on December 16, said her condition is “not as good as yesterday” though her vital parameters are normal, thanks to the supplementation provided.
“She showed some tendency for internal bleeding last night. In simple terms, she has reduced capacity for coagulation (the process by which blood forms clots)… She is not as good as yesterday. She continues to be on ventilator support,” said Medical Superintendent Dr B D Athani.
He said the bilirubin level has come down to 5.5 from yesterday’s 6.3 and the platelet count has increased to 70,000 from yesterday’s 19,000. A normal platelet count in a healthy individual is between 150,000 and 450,000 per micro litres of blood.
Doctors said the bleeding was because of sepsis, a severe blood infection that can lead to organ failure, which still remain a cause of “major concern” as far as the girl’s health is concerned.
Athani said they have not made an effort to put the girl off ventilator because of her condition and noted that she was running fever of 102 degrees to 104 degrees.
The girl was subjected to psychiatric counselling this morning along with her parents. Dr Rastogi of the Psychology Department said despite her fragile body condition, the girl is “relatively composed”.
“She has not shown any anxiety or depression,” he said.
P K Verma, ICU in-charge at the Safdarjung Hospital, said she is “very serious, very critical” and still “not out of danger”.
Meanwhile, a total clampdown was enforced at the India Gate by police which shut down roads leading to the area, a day after protests against the Delhi gang-rape at Rajpath turned violent, even as Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh appealed for calm.
With no let up in the demonstrations after the action shifted to Jantar Mantar, about 3 km from India Gate, Prime Minister Singh in a nationally televised address said “anger at this crime is justified but violence will serve no purpose.”
Singh said Government will examine the delay not only the responses to the “terrible” crime but also all aspects concerning the safety and security of women.
The assurance came even as Delhi Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna ordered action against some senior police officers.
“We have suspended two ACPs Mohan Singh Dabas (Traffic) and Yagram (PCR). I have instructed the Police Commissioner to seek explanation from DCPs Premnath (Traffic) and Satbir Kataria (PCR) and will decide on further action after that,” Khanna told reporters after he cut short his visit to the US and returned to the Capital.
As the outrage over the December 16 gangrape of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student in a moving bus continued , police said a charge sheet in the case will be filed “within a week”.
Delhi Police mentioned the names of former Army Chief V K Singh and yoga guru Ramdev in an FIR registered here in connection with the clashes between their supporters and police at Jantar Mantar during a protest yesterday.
Security personnel kept Rajpath, the stretch linking India Gate and Raisina Hill leading to Rashtrapati Bhavan, locked down with barricades and heavy deployment of personnel with riot-gear besides disallowing traffic on Rajpath and closing down nine Delhi Metro stations.
It was chaos on roads as police restricted vehicular movement around India Gate leading to huge traffic jams in central Delhi, including near ITO, Mathura Road and roads leading to the VIP areas.
At Jantar Mantar, a number of protesters gathered to demand speedy punishment for the criminals involved in the gangrape but no violence was reported.
Police did not allow anybody to reach near India Gate or Raisina Hill, which saw pitched battles between security forces and protesters yesterday leaving around 150 injured from both sides.
Issuing a fresh appeal for peace, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today said Government will look into delay in response in the gangrape case as also all aspects concerning the security of women while asking people to desist from violence.
In a televised address, Singh said he and his family join in the concern for the 23-year-old victim, who was gangraped and brutally assaulted in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16 night.
“As a father of three daughters myself, I feel as strongly about this as each one of you. My wife, my family and I are all joined in our concern for the young woman who was the victim of this heinous crime.”
He said the Government was constantly monitoring her medical condition.
His statement came as protests, which turned violent yesterday, continued for the seventh day today.
Emphasising that anger at this crime is “justified”, Singh said, “but violence will serve no purpose.”
Singh noted that Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has already spoken about the steps being taken to address issues regarding safety of women in the country.
“We will examine into delay not only the responses to this terrible crime but also all aspects concerning the safety and security of women,” he said.
Singh broke his silence on the issue last night when he issued a similar statement saying public anger is “genuine” and “justified”.
Singh had also expressed sadness over the turn of events that led to clashes between the angry protesters and the police and appealed for peace and calm.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit tonight met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and discussed with him the prevailing situation in the city arising out of widespread protests in the wake of the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl student.
Dikshit apprised the Prime Minister about the steps being taken by her Government to ensure a safe environment for women in the national Capital.
The Chief Minister also conveyed her views on steps needed to be taken by various agencies to instill confidence of women in the security system, sources said.
She also sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in directing the agencies concerned so that the city can be made a safer place for women, they said.
Dikshit is also understood to have conveyed to the Prime Minister the need to enhance punishment for those found guilty in committing heinous crime against women as well as a fast track trial of the convict.
Delhi Government has already announced a number of steps including setting up of a control room at Chief Minister’s office to receive complaints of women and take follow up action with help of police.
Meanwhile, after the Government turned down their suggestions for convening a special Parliament session and holding an all-party meeting, BJP leaders today claimed they had a satisfactory meeting with President Pranab Mukherjee and he shared their concern on the issue.
BJP Parliamentary Party chief L K Advani led a seven- member delegation, which met Mukherjee this evening after Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde ruled out the two suggestions given by the principal opposition party.
“We are happy to learn that he (Mukherjee) feels it is an outrage of the whole nation…He said he had a brief talk with the Prime Minister on this issue and will discuss the issue again with him after our meeting,” Advani told reporters after the meeting.
Advani described the discussions with Mukherjee as “very satisfactory” and said the President was “all concerned” about the issue.
The BJP leader maintained that there is a feeling among the people “not only about the failure of the Government but also of the political class” as their expectations are not being fulfilled.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj said she had received a call from Shinde just before the delegation met Mukherjee.
“The Home Minister said he does not feel the need for a special session of Parliament or of calling an all-party meeting. I told him if he does not feel the need now then when will the Government feel the need. He said things are cooling down now. The Government has neither consulted the political class nor agreed to discuss it in Parliament,” she said.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, senior party leaders Murli Manohar Joshi, Rajnath Singh and M Venkaiah Naidu were also part of the delegation.
Earlier in the day, the BJP core group and party general secretaries held a meeting to discuss the growing outrage among the people against atrocities and crime against women. The party decided to take the issue to the President.
“The reaction and anger against ruthless atrocities on women is there not just in Delhi but other parts of the country as well. The Government is not doing what it should do…. So we decided to go to the country’s and Parliament’s highest authority and asked him to intervene,” Advani said.
BJP thanked Mukherjee for being prompt in giving the opposition an appointment today itself and spending half-an-hour with the main opposition to discuss the issue.
Swaraj told the President at the meeting that Government has turned down the opposition’s suggestion for holding a special Parliament session to amend the present laws on crimes against women, for making them more stringent.
She had earlier said in a statement that the response of the Home Minister even during the discussion in Parliament on crimes against women was as “tame, timid and casual”.
Under severe attack for deteriorating law and order situation in the city, Government today suspended two Assistant Commissioners of Delhi Police and sought explanation from two Deputy Commissioners holding them responsible failing to prevent the gang-rape of a 23-year-old girl which triggered violent protests here.
Announcing the action against the police officials, Lt Governor Tejendra Khanna declared a series of steps to enhance security for women, which include appointment of a Special Police Commissioner to receive complaints of misconduct violence and harassment of women.
At a press conference here, Khanna said two ACPs Mohan Singh Dabas of Traffic wing and Yad Ram who is in-charge of PCR have been suspended as they “failed” to prevent the crime.
“Prima facie both the officials were found guilty of failure to prevent the incident,” said Khanna, who returned from US last night.
Khanna said he has instructed Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar to seek explanation from DCP (Traffic) Prem Nath and DCP (PCR) Satbir Kataria on why disciplinary action would not be taken against them.
After a two-and-a half hour meeting with representatives of various women’s groups, Khanna said it would be mandatory for the duty officer of all police stations to register the complaint of the woman if she approached them.
The Lt Governor said orders have been issued to ensure immediate registration of complaints filed by any woman regarding harassment, assault, domestic violence and appropriate action would be taken if any of the 80,000-strong Delhi Police personnel fail to obey the direction.
“Police will adopt zero tolerance approach towards complaint by women,” he said.
“It was decided that if any complaint of misbehaviour by any of the 80,000 personnel is received, disciplinary action would be taken,” Khanna said, adding plaincloth police personnel will be deployed in public transport to check harassment of women.
He said Special Commissioner of Police Sudhir Yadav will receive any complaints like molestation, violence, misconduct against women round-the-clock on his mobile phone 98180-99012 and email splcptraffic@gmail.com)
“Yadav has been appointed as nodal officer and on last Friday of every month he will meet the representatives of the women’s groups,” said Khanna adding police personnel would be imparted training at the Police Training Colleges to be more sensitive and courteous while dealing with women.
The LG said he will also hold meetings with women groups at an interval of three months to review security of women in the city.
He said representatives of women rights organisations will be appointed as Special Women Volunteer Force to assist police in nabbing culprits indulging in violating regulations or indulging in improper behaviour against women.
“The representatives would also be able to visit police stations and assist in the proper functioning of women help lines in 161 police stations as well as in the ‘Crime against Women’ Cells,” he said
Khana said all authorised drivers of public service vehicles will have to carry a special badge which will comprise a photo besides other details. The PSV badge will be issued to drivers after verification of background of the applicants by National Crime Record Bureau.
Copies of such badges should be displayed on front wind screens as well as in the passenger seating area. He said proper lighting in dimly lit streets will be ensured in a timebound manner.
As the political leadership struggled to deal with public anger over gang-rape of a girl here, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today appeared to bracket angry protesters at India Gate with armed Maoists.
“It is very easy to ask the Home Minister to go to India Gate and talk. Tomorrow if any other party’s demonstration goes on why should not the Home Minister go there. Tomorrow Congress and BJP will demonstrate, tomorrow Maoists will come here to demonstrate with weapons,” he said in various interviews.
Shinde said the people should understand the Government’s role and the Government should not go anywhere.
“This will happen tomorrow, for any Government. Why should the Government go anywhere?” he said.
Asked whether he was trying to compare the protesters with the Maoists, the Home Minister said, “You don’t separate it from law and order. I have already talked about it….Since the day they started the agitation, I had met them in my house, in my office…I met their representatives.
“After doing all these if they say we want justice what kind of justice will we give? There should be some limit, we have accepted all the demands,” he said.
Shinde said that certain “political elements” were behind yesterday’s violence at India Gate and its surrounding areas during the protests against the gang-rape here last Sunday.
“We have information that some political elements were behind the violence. We are enquiring into it,” he said.
The Home Minister said the Centre is convening a meeting of Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police of all States on January four to take stock of the crime against women, particularly rape.
“The January four meeting will discuss the overall scenario of crime against women, particularly rape, and how to check them. We will also discuss how to fast-track the rape cases,” he said.
Shinde said women belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes often become victims of sexual violence and the Government would look into their grievances.
“SCs and STs live in remote areas so such crimes do not come out in the public. But we are sincere to provide protection to these under privileged sections of the society,” he said.
The Home Minister said he met the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court today and requested him to set up fast-track courts to deal with crime against women, particularly the recent gang-rape.
Asked whether the Government has any plan to convene a special session of Parliament to frame more stringent laws for sexual crimes, he replied in negative, saying there was no need for a special session of Parliament.
“You will see our action, then you will realise. We have given one month’s time to this committee (constituted last night for reviewing the existing laws). I will request them to give their suggestions as early as possible and we will act upon them,” he said.
Asked whether Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar would be removed for alleged mishandling of the situation, the Home Minister said he would not like to talk on such an issue under the prevailing situation.
“Once the situation is calm and quiet, I will look into it. Certainly, I will take action and I will not spare anyone (found to be guilty),” he said.
Defending the crackdown on protesters, Shinde said on Saturday, the protesters went upto the North Block and even tried to break into Rashtrapati Bhavan.
“Rashtrapati Bhavan is a prestigious house of the country and it is the image of the country. If they would have gone there, you would have criticised me. That is why we are very strict on this thing,” he said, adding hooliganism also led to the police action.
On the delayed political reaction to the protests by the youths, Shinde said both Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh have appealed for calm and peace and were giving instructions to him to take necessary action.
“Soniaji was talking to us. The PM was talking to us. He was holding meetings. When we prepared the statements, he was part of those statements,” he said.
Meanwhile, chaos ruled busy roads and Metro stations in the capital today as thousands of commuters were stranded at major intersections due to massive traffic jams as several roads and nine Metro stations were shut down to prevent protesters from reaching India Gate and Raisina Hills.
As roads leading to Rajpath and India Gate were closed from all directions and Metro stations in the area became out of bounds for public, commuters waited for public transport for hours while vehicles got stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic snarls at several places across the capital.
Nine Metro stations, including the busiest Rajiv Chowk that usually sees a footfall of 5 lakh passengers a day, in central Delhi were shut down, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and at the mercy of auto rickshaws drivers, who fleeced them.
The measures were taken following yesterday’s pitched battles at Rajpath and India Gate between police personnel and protesters agitating over the rape of a 23-year-old girl in a moving bus here last Sunday night.
ITO Bridge, one of the major connections in the capital, was clogged with vehicles since morning hours and the chaos only aggravated as the day progressed with people having to wait patiently inside their vehicles for hours.
There was traffic chaos at Pragati Maidan, Nizamuddin Bridge, Shantipath, Chanakyapuri, Mother Teresa Cresent Road, Mathura Road, Khan Market, Mandi House and Barakhamba Road, besides other major sections.
Pragati Maidan, Mandi House, Barakhamba Road, Rajiv Chowk, Patel Chowk, Central Secretariat, Udyog Bhawan, Race Course Road and Khan Market Metro stations were closed. Though inter-change was allowed at Rajiv Chowk and Central Secretariat stations, it was not of much help to the people as stations nearby were also closed.
Closing of entry points to Rajpath and India Gate were the main reason for the mayhem on the roads, which were dotted with men in khaki.
Policemen in large numbers could be seen on all major roads.
Radhika, a software professional whose office is located on Parliament Street, summed up the frustration of thousands of commuters.
A regular Metro commuter, she was unaware that all stations near her office were closed today. Radhika was shocked when the train did not stop at three stations one after another and heaved a sigh of relief when it halted at Rajiv Chowk.
“But I was not allowed to exit from the station. I was stuck inside and didn’t have a clue on how to reach my office though it is less than a km from here,” she said.
She was not alone. There were several hundreds of passengers who got stranded at the stations.
With ITO and adjacent roads clogged with vehicles, policemen had a tough job controlling the traffic and guiding drivers not to take the out-of-bounds roads.
With most of the other roads leading to Connaught Place and nearby areas closed, traffic moved at snail’s pace on Bhagwan Dass Road and near Pragati Maidan.
Several auto drivers also spoke about being caught in long traffic jams and refused to take passengers. A few sought to capitalise on the situation by demanding exorbitant fares.
Arun Yadav, a PR executive, paid double the regular fare to reach his office on Barakhamba Road from his house in Mayur Vihar. “Since Metro stations near my office were shut, I thought of taking an auto but I ended up paying double the usual amount. And I got late to office by 90 minutes,” he said.
With buses bypassing several restricted areas and some taking long routes for their destination, a large number of the commuters had to walk long stretches.
“I had to walk all the way from New Delhi Metro station to Rafi Marg as all other nearby stations were closed. It took me almost 45 minutes,” said a worked-up commuter.
Several travellers, who had to catch trains, were also caught in the mayhem.
“I drove a family from New Delhi Railway Station to Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station. It took us one-and-a-half hours and they missed their train to Chennai,” said an auto driver. (PTI)
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