A minor girl undergoing treatment at India’s largest COVID-19 care centre, located in Delhi’s Chhatarpur, was sexually assaulted by a fellow patient in the bathroom, police said on Thursday, 23 July.
A 19-year-old man, along with his associate, has been arrested for the attack on the the 14-year-old girl and sent to judicial custody, news agency PTI reported. The incident took place at a 10,000-bed COVID-19 care centre at the Radha Soami Satsang Beas, that has been set up for treating mild and asymptomatic cases.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is the nodal agency operating the centre, where the accused and the complainant were admitted for treatment. The girl has accused the 19-year-old of sexually assaulting her and the man’s associate for capturing the act on a mobile phone. Cops have reportedly said the associate did not sexually assault the girl.
“The girl was immediately shifted to a government hospital, where she continues to receive treatment for COVID-19. The suspects, too, are yet to recover and have been moved to another hospital while they remain in judicial custody,” Parvinder Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police (south) told Hindustan Times.
A case has reportedly been registered under various sections for sexual assault and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
(With inputs from PTI and Hindustan Times)
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