Days after an 11-year-old boy was sexually assaulted allegedly by three minors in Northeast Delhi, two of the juveniles were released by the Juvenile Justice Board after their parents signed an ‘undertaking. According to police and court sources, the boys, aged 12 and 13, have been temporarily released on grounds of age and insufficient medical evidence in the case.
Meanwhile, the victim has been unconscious for the last eight days. A senior doctor at the government hospital where he is admitted said, “the chances of survival seem thin. He has developed septicemia and his intestines are perforated. Yesterday, he suffered a cardiac arrest.”
His mother, a domestic worker, said the family is disappointed at the release of the accused.
According to the family, the boy was sexually assaulted, hit with bricks, and pushed from the terrace of a house. They said the boy is suffering from kidney failure, body infection, and internal blood clots. The incident that occurred on September 18-19 came to light after the boy fell sick on September 22 and confided in his mother.
“I leave for work early and come back late. I wish he had told me earlier. His condition is getting worse. After the incident, he sustained injuries in his ribs and legs, but he didn’t tell anyone. This led to a severe infection that spread to other body parts. I am scared… The worst part is the accused are free. One of them has not even been arrested. They all live near our house. I have lost faith in the judiciary.
What if my boy dies tomorrow?” said the boy’s mother.
She alleged the boys had been harassing her son for days.
According to the police, the juveniles were released after the authorities carefully assessed the case and the background.
“The accused are juveniles under 16. One of them has asthma and the other comes from a broken home. They will be asked to join the investigation once the victim regains consciousness,” said a source.
DCP Sanjay Sain, DCP (Northeast), had earlier said that police approached the family, but they allegedly gave a statement only on September 24. “After extensive counselling, the mother of the child disclosed that the boy was physically assaulted and sodomised by the three. A case was immediately registered under sections of the sodomy and the POCSO Act. Two of the juveniles were apprehended and sent to the JJB,” said Sain.