'Prevent Crime, Not Act After It': Supreme Court Raps Centre, Delhi Police Over Women's Safety
The Supreme Court on Monday, told the Centre and Delhi Police that every woman in the National Capital Territory of Delhi must feel safe while walking on the streets at night or travelling by metro or road. A bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran made the observations while hearing a suo motu case concerning a series of recent rape and sexual assault incidents in…
The Supreme Court expressed deep concern over women's safety in Delhi, emphasizing that every woman in the National Capital Territory must feel secure while navigating the streets at night or using public transport. The court urged the central government and Delhi Police to ensure that women feel safe in public spaces, including walking alone after 10 pm or traveling on metros and buses.
The bench, comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran, stressed that authorities must focus on preventing crimes rather than reacting after they occur. They highlighted the need for visible deterrents against potential offenders, insisting that law enforcement measures should have a tangible impact on the ground. The court criticized systemic deficiencies like inadequate lighting, poor surveillance, and inadequate patrolling as creating conditions that facilitate crimes against women.
The court underlined that safety measures should be implemented at the grassroots level and not confined to official reports or paperwork. It also noted that authorities should not hesitate to take strict preventive measures, even if it may raise objections on fundamental rights under Article 21. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognizance of recent incidents of rape and sexual assault, including a 17-year-old girl allegedly raped at Aastha Kunj Park, a teenage girl allegedly gang-raped and murdered in Swaroop Nagar, and a minor allegedly sexually assaulted on a moving sleeper bus from Greater Noida to Delhi.
Previous court orders directed authorities to identify and map vulnerable areas, strengthen patrolling, particularly during evening and early-morning hours, and conduct audits of lighting and CCTV infrastructure. The court has also sought status reports on existing women's safety mechanisms, including the National Database on Sexual Offenders and emergency response systems.
The matter remains under judicial monitoring, with the court emphasizing the need for authorities to demonstrate concrete action on the ground rather than merely submitting reports.
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