New Delhi, November 21st, 2011

The National Human Rights Commission has asked his Director General (Investigation) to send a team today for an on the spot enquiry into the incident of fire that took place in women's night shelter near the Baba Kharak Singh Marg yesterday on the 20th November, 2011. The fire resulted in death of Vinita, a nine year old homeless girl and student of Class-I at the local NDMC school. At the time of fire she was sleeping at the makeshift night shelter along with 21 women and 16 children. The Director General (Investigation), NHRC has been asked to submit the report within a week. The NHRC took this decision after taking suo motu cognizance of the media report.

According to the media report, the shelter was built with highly inflammable objects and as soon as the fire started, it spread across the entire length of the NDMC ground on which the shelter was situated. The entire night shelter, a rag tag combination of plastic, tarpaulin and torn clothes, had come on the Bangla Sahib lane only last year after NDMC shut down its only permanent Rain Basera in the Sarojini Nagar area. The police have registered a case of negligence.

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