The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Delhi government and police for a “systemic failure” to guarantee basic public safety, taking suo motu cognisance of recent sexual offences across Delhi – NCR and ordering the Commissioner of Police to immediately audit public spaces in the Capital, observing that parks, roads, and public places cannot be permitted to become “zones of high risk” to citizens.
The court’s intervention followed news reports on the recent incidents, including the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old at Aastha Kunj Park. The court said the right to live with dignity free from violence was a fundamental guarantee under Article 21 of the Constitution. The court directed the Commissioner to constitute dedicated teams in every police district, headed by officers not below the rank of deputy superintendent of police, to inspect parks, isolated stretches, transport hubs, markets, areas around educational institutions and other vulnerable locations for gaps in lighting, surveillance, patrolling and access control.
Referring to the victim’s “harrowing” account, the bench called the incident a “stark reminder” of the vulnerabilities faced by women and children in spaces that ought to be safe and accessible. “Where basic measures of public safety remain compromised, no individual, irrespective of age, gender, or sexual identity, can navigate public spaces with a sense of security,” it said, adding that the primary obligation of the State was to maintain public spaces that are “safe, accessible, and secure for all”.
It noted with regret that persistent complaints of women and girls facing sexual harassment in the area had failed to prompt increased vigilance by the police or local administration before the alleged assault.
