DCW summons FRRO chief over death of S African girl

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 17

The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) today summoned the head of the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) following a South African girl, who was allegedly illegally detained at a beggar home since December, died at a city hospital.

“A girl from South Africa who was detained by the FRRO since December 2016 has died in hospital. She was ill and was urgently released yesterday by the FRRO after her medical condition became critical. The arbitrary release of the girl by the FRRO at a time when she was critically ill amounted to abandoning the girl in time of need," DCW chief Swati Maliwal said in a letter to the FRRO.

In this case, the DCW had earlier sought information from the FRRO, but the office concerned is understood to have “denied” information to the women’s body.

Stating that arguments of the FRRO for denying information are “baseless”, DCW chief Swati Maliwal said the action of the FRRO for not providing requisite information is an "attempt to stall" the functioning of a statutory body and "refusal of the FRRO to furnish information sought by the commission is also a punishable offence" under Section 176 of the IPC.

As the last opportunity, the FRRO head has been summoned to appear before the DCW on February 22 to provide complete information failing which without any lawful excuse it will face the consequences of non-attendance as provided in law.

The commission has received several complaints alleging wrongdoings by FRRO officials and no action have been taken on the same. It has observed that the functioning of the FRRO is “non transparent" while pointing out that the women detainees, some of whom are refugees are mostly unaware of the reasons for their detention, the proposed dates of deportation and are not provided any legal support, whatsoever.