The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of recent rape and sexual harassment cases in Delhi-NCR. The court called these incidents deeply concerning.
Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran directed registration of a case regarding the matter. The bench said these incidents revived painful memories of the 2012 Nirbhaya case.
Court Questions Safety Failures And Accountability
The judges said these incidents clearly highlight failures of law enforcement agencies. According to the bench, public spaces cannot become dangerous because of poor lighting or weak monitoring.
Justice Pardiwala said parks, buses and other public areas need proper facilities. He added that citizens showing unity after incidents is not enough.
Instead, authorities must face accountability for such failures. Therefore, the court ordered a suo motu case to examine system gaps after these incidents.
The judges specifically mentioned the alleged gangrape of a minor inside a moving bus travelling from Greater Noida to Delhi.
Noida Bus Incident Raised Safety Concerns
On August 4, a 16-year-old minor allegedly faced gangrape inside a sleeper bus. Police said the girl boarded the bus after getting down at Pari Chowk.
The incident happened during rain and darkness. Police said the driver and conductor committed sexual violence against her.
After travelling around 47 kilometres, the accused left her near Delhi’s Kashmiri Gate. Later, police arrested both accused persons.
However, questions emerged about the bus monitoring system. The bus had 11 traffic challans, while its CCTV system was not working.
Moreover, the bus crossed several police checkpoints without any stoppage.
Delhi Park Incident Also Under Scanner
Meanwhile, another case emerged from a park in South-East Delhi. A 17-year-old girl allegedly faced gangrape by three people.
The accused reportedly claimed they were police personnel. Following the incident, Delhi Police identified poorly lit areas and inactive CCTV locations.
Additionally, authorities directed stronger security arrangements around isolated places.
