The Supreme Court on Monday issued stern directions to the Delhi Police and the Centre, demanding concrete, ground-level action to curb rising incidents of rape and molestation in the national capital.
A bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran emphasized that creating paper guidelines is insufficient to protect women in public spaces. “Merely putting out guidelines and directions on paper will not help. You need to get it into action. If that means to become harsh, the endeavour should be to ensure rape, etc. is done away with,” the bench remarked.
The top court urged law enforcement to build an atmosphere where every woman feels secure step outside at any hour: “Ensure every woman feels safe, even at 10 pm.”
Monitoring a suo motu petition following recent sexual assaults in the capital, the court directed police to focus heavily on preventive patrolling rather than merely acting after a crime is committed.
Key instructions and proposals highlighted by the Supreme Court include:
- High-Vulnerability Patrols: Intensifying day and night patrolling around bus stops, Metro stations, railway hubs, and educational campuses.
- Centralized CCTV Monitoring: Establishing a dedicated monitoring cell connected to public CCTV networks across parks and isolated stretches to trigger immediate preventive responses.
- Approachability and Deterrence: Creating a visible police presence that comforts law-abiding citizens whileinstilling strong fear in potential offenders.
- Accountability: Fixing direct responsibility on police personnel when patrolling lapses lead to reported offenses.
Appearing for the Delhi Police, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta assured the bench that a comprehensive response to earlier security audit orders was being prepared alongside enhanced vigilance measures.
The judicial intervention follows the September 21 gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park. A subsequent safety audit conducted by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) revealed stark lapses in municipal security:
- Out of 736 DDA-managed parks, only 16 had functioning CCTV cameras.
- 190 parks were classified as high-risk zones, with 520 lacking adequate lighting and 323 needing new camera installations.
Assisting the court as amicus curiae, senior advocate Liz Mathew highlighted critical manpower shortages documented by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). The bench urged the Centre to accelerate recruitment and adequately train constables for crime prevention.
Reflecting on fundamental rights under Article 21, the bench reminded officers present: “Every girl molested or raped is our sister and mother. Take up this challenge and live up to our expectations and don’t allow these things to happen.” The matter is set for its next hearing on November 16.
