Delhi University teacher who alleged sexual harassment dies of burns

New Delhi: A teacher who used to work at Delhi University has died in hospital after she set herself on fire outside the state government headquarters nearly a week ago.

Pavitra Bhardwaj was rushed to hospital on September 30 with almost 90 per cent burns.

The 40-year-old reportedly told the police before dying that she was driven to suicide as no one acted on her complaint of sexual harassment, allegedly by the principal of BR Ambedkar college, where she worked till two years ago.

Ms Bhardwaj was allegedly forced to quit as chemistry lab assistant at the college in 2011. She had reportedly complained repeatedly of harassment by the principal, GK Arora, but a university panel reportedly backed the principal.

Several teachers at the college, staff and students had protested against Ms Bhardwaj's dismissal.

"She had been harassed for over three years," said her husband, Dharmendra Bhardwaj, "the damage is done...now we just want justice."

Delhi cop allegedly forced rape survivor to strip, show how she was raped

New Delhi: A 13 year-old-girl was gagged and brutally gang-raped by four men in the national capital on September 28. But for her, the humiliation did not end there.

The gang-rape survivor's family alleges that Bhagwan Singh, the Station House Officer (SHO) of a local police station, made her strip and touched her inappropriately when she went to complain. He allegedly asked the minor to "show" how she was raped.

The rape survivor alleges the SHO told her that she was imagining things and that her complaint was bogus. She says he did not file a complaint against all the accused and forced her to give a false statement in front of the magistrate, even threatening to kill her family if she gave any other statement.

The SHO of the west Delhi police station has been suspended, pending enquiry.

"We have taken immediate action and the DCP Vigilance is looking into it personally," said Ranveer Singh, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) West.

But the police also claim that female counsellors were present in the room when the girl came to file her complaint and they have rejected these charges against the SHO.

"To our knowledge we don't know if the SHO has had a meeting with the victim," said Magdalene Mary, an NGO worker.

After a physiotherapy intern was brutally gang-raped on board a moving bus on December 16, the Delhi Police started sensitisation drives twice a month to make its force more sensitive to rape survivors. These sessions are to be attended by policemen during their basic, refresher and promotional training. But despite that, a lot seems to have fallen through the cracks.

"Changes in the mindset of a senior police officer, but at the SHO level, no. The moment they will say this is gender sensitisation, half the class will sleep," says Rishi Kant, from the NGO Shakti Vahini.

The Delhi Police has already filed over a thousand cases of rape in the first eight months, a record high in 13 years. Part of this is because post last December, the force wants to appear more women-friendly and file cases as and when complaints come in. But will it take more than just sensitisation classes and registering cases to drive home the message?

Indian extradited to US for allegedly raping teenage girl

New York: A 32-year-old Indian has been extradited to the US to face charges in the 2009 rape of a teenage girl as she walked to her school.

Amit Singh was extradited to the US from India last week and has been arraigned on a grand jury indictment charging him with rape in the first and second degrees, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child.

He was remanded by Judge Angelo Delligatti and is due back in court on October 11, Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said. He faces 25 years in prison.

On March 11, 2009, Singh approached the 14-year-old girl who was walking past his house to her school. He allegedly tried to coax her into his home and then grabbed her when she refused. He allegedly forced her inside his home where he raped her, and then drove her to school. The victim told a teacher about the incident.

Singh fled the country five days after the attack and one day before the victim positively identified him in a photo array presented by police. His return to the US to face charges is a result of an international manhunt.

Members of the US Marshal's Service travelled to India last week and brought Singh back to New York's JFK International Airport where he was arrested by detectives from the Nassau County Police Departments Special Victims Unit.

"Singh subjected this innocent young girl to unspeakable horrors, both physical and emotional, before running to the other side of the world to avoid the consequences," Rice said.

"The persistence and dedication exhibited by multiple law enforcement agencies, however, guaranteed that there was no corner of the globe where this predator could safely hide."

DNA evidence from the attack came back as a match to Singh in April 2009. Singh's DNA profile was in the system from a prior felony drug conviction, Rice said.

A grand jury indicted Singh in August 2009. An international warrant was issued by Interpol in February 2011.

The US Department of Justice notified Nassau authorities in July that year that Singh had been arrested while trying to board a plane to Thailand. He had been imprisoned in New Delhi and fighting extradition since then. Indian authorities agreed to extradite him earlier this month.