The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Delhi Police to adopt tougher and more effective policing to prevent sexual crimes against women and children, stressing that offenders must fear serious consequences for their actions.
A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said police must move beyond paperwork and strengthen surveillance, patrols and preventive measures across Delhi.
“You need to create fear in the minds of anti-social elements,” the bench said, urging officers not to hesitate from strict action while addressing concerns raised under Article 21, which protects life and personal liberty.
The court stressed that beat patrols should remain mobile rather than police vans being parked at fixed locations.
It also sought greater vigilance at bus stops, metro and railway stations, schools and colleges, along with measures to illuminate dark stretches and identify vulnerable areas.
The bench asked police to engage with residents over concerns such as poor street lighting and local hooliganism, while also monitoring CCTV footage for crime prevention rather than merely investigating offences afterward. It flagged illegal eateries and liquor stores as potential gathering points for miscreants.
The directions came days after the court took suo motu cognisance of a spate of sexual assault cases in Delhi-NCR, including the alleged gangrape of a 17-year-old at Aastha Kunj Park, a teenage rape-murder case in Swaroop Nagar and an alleged assault inside a moving bus travelling from Greater Noida to Delhi.
