DCW counsellor, driver placed under quarantine after rescue of woman later found COVID-19 positive

A counsellor of the Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) and a driver have been put under quarantine after they rescued a woman who was later found COVID-19 positive, the panel said on Tuesday. DCW chief Swati Maliwal also wrote to Delhi Health secretary Padmini Singla, informing her about the matter and asking her to ensure thorough contact tracing.

On April 24, the DCW counsellor had rescued a 26-year-old woman who was confined by her parents for allegedly marrying against their wishes with the help of police personnel from KN Katju Marg police station. DCW had received a complaint on its 181 helpline on April 24 in this regard. The complaint also alleged that the woman was being beaten by her parents regularly.  The woman after being rescued was taken by the DCW team to the KN Katju Marg police station.  In her statement to the police, the woman said she got married last month prior to the lockdown. Her parents were against the marriage and they confined her to their home where she was allegedly tortured and not allowed to talk to her husband, she said in her statement.

The woman wanted to go back to her husband's house following which he was informed. The woman was handed over to her husband and they both travelled to Panipat.

However, they met with a minor accident after which they were admitted to a hospital, the panel said. The woman tested positive for coronavirus when her examination was done at the hospital, the panel said. She was shifted to another hospital while her husband is under observation.

The DCW has shared a list of persons who came in direct or secondary contact with the woman, including the police personnel. The woman counsellor and the mobile van driver have been placed under quarantine, the panel said.  DCW chief Swati Maliwal said, "We are conducting rescue operations and making visits to the hospital and police station. Unfortunately in this case the rescued survivor has tested COVID-19 positive.

"Our ground staff who came in contact with the survivor has been put under quarantine and we have written to Health Secretary and Commissioner of Police to ensure testing of all contacts and police staff." A senior police officer said they have erected a canopy outside the police station and the police personnel deal with the complainants there. The policemen follow strict social distancing norms and are equipped with gloves and masks, he said. "We are identifying the police personnel who came in contact with the woman and we will quarantine them," the officer said.