Cops, govt have failed to ensure public safety in Delhi: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court recently addressed a string of recent rape cases in Delhi-NCR, expressing deep concern over what it perceives as a "systematic failure" by law enforcement and public authorities to guarantee public safety.<br><br>

The bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran ordered the court registry to file a suo motu public interest litigation regarding the issue and set it for hearing. The court cited alarming parallels to the 2012 Nirbhaya case, questioning whether meaningful progress has been made in law enforcement over the past decade.<br><br>

Justice Pardiwala emphasized that the right to live with dignity and free from violence is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court warned that public spaces such as parks, roads, buses, metro stations, and footbridges cannot be allowed to become high-risk zones due to issues like inadequate lighting, poor surveillance, and insufficient patrolling.<br><br>

While acknowledging the understandable concerns expressed by public authorities and elected representatives, the court stressed that mere expressions of solidarity are insufficient. It called for concrete actions and accountability from authorities responsible for maintaining public order and protecting vulnerable individuals.<br><br>

The court's intervention followed a series of recent sexual assault cases, including a 16-year-old girl gang-raped on a sleeper bus in Greater Noida on August 4. The perpetrators, the bus conductor and driver, have since been arrested.