New Delhi:
For a fourth day, large protests in Delhi expressed the widespread anger and frustration over the barbarous attack on a five-year-old. The demonstrators have been demanding the resignation of Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar, who appeared to rule that out.
"I am willing to resign 1000 times, if that will help. But it will not address the problem," he said.
(Watch)The child was kidnapped near her home last week and kept in captivity in the basement of the building that she lived in with her family, allegedly by two men from Bihar, who have been arrested.
The child's cries were heard by the mother, who summoned the police. Mr Kumar said cops would be taken to the hospital where the child is recovering so her father can identify those who allegedly offered him a bribe of Rs 2000 to keep quiet about his daughter's case.
The police has been asked repeatedly why it did not think of thoroughly combing the building in its search for the little girl. Mr Kumar today repeated the weak defense offered by the cops - that the parents of the child had not listed the neighbour or anyone else as a suspect. (
Read: Satisfied with the performance of Delhi Police, says Commissioner Neeraj Kumar)
The police chief said that he had responded promptly, suspending a police officer who was filmed slapping a woman demonstrator on Friday. It's not clear why Mr Kumar appears to believe that by punishing a clearly out-of-line officer, he has done something remarkable.
Mr Kumar's resignation was demanded first in December in the days after a medical student was gang-raped on a moving bus which rolled through a series of police check posts without being stopped despite its illegal tinted windows and white lettering that announced it was a school-bus. The student died two weeks later after the savage assault.