Police must create fear in minds of goons: Supreme Court in suo motu case on women's safety

The Supreme Court on Monday urged the Delhi Police not to hesitate in taking strict action against 'goons' found threatening the safety of women in Delhi, and to instil genuine fear in the minds of those who intend to commit crimes against women. .A Bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice K Vinod Chandran underscored that policing cannot remain confined to files and orders on paper, but must translate into visible deterrence on the streets."We are in a country like India. Merely putting things on paper is not enough. You need to get into action. If you have to be a little more strict, a little more harsh, do not hesitate. There will be people who will raise a hue and cry about Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty), but you have to do your duty," the Bench observed orally.The Court noted that the goal must be crime prevention rather than action after the crime has occurred."There should be a fear, a fright in the mind of the man who is prone to commit such offences. Unless that fear and fright is created ki ‘ab kuch kiya toh marr jayenge’ (if we do anything now, we will be finished), you will not be able to prevent such crimes. Apprehending them, putting them behind bars is not the solution," the Court said..There should be a fear in the mind of the man who is prone to commit such offences. Unless that fear and fright is created ki ‘ab kuch kiya toh marr jayenge’, you (police) will not be able to prevent such crimes.Supreme Court.The Court was hearing a suo motu case initiated after a spate of rape cases were reported recently from Delhi-NCR, including a case where a teenager was raped at a public park.According to media reports, a 17-year-old girl was gang-raped on September 21 at Astha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir in southeast Delhi by three men posing as police officers. At least 13 cases of sexual assault have been reported from the national capital last month.While taking suo motu cognisance of the matter, the Court had observed that the increasing incidents across Delhi-NCR starkly indicated a systemic failure on the part of law enforcement and public administrative authorities to guarantee basic public safety..Today, the Bench expressed grave concern over the pervasive sense of insecurity among women in Delhi, noting that their safety must extend to late hours as well."There appears to be a feeling that women are not safe in the city. It is important to prevent the crime and not what you do after the crime is committed. We must ensure that every young girl, every woman in Delhi should feel safe even at 10 or 11 at night, whether she’s travelling by metro or walking on the streets," the Bench observed..We must ensure that every young girl, every woman in Delhi should feel safe even at 10 or 11 at night, whether she’s travelling by metro or walking on the streets.Supreme Court.With the festive season underway, the Court sounded an alert over anti-social elements taking advantage of crowded public areas."In these holidays, like Durga Puja, Diwali, these miscreants and goons will be on the high. You have to create a fear in their mind... Officers, rise to the occasion. Don’t let us down. Every woman, every girl molested or raped is our sister, our mother. Rise to the occasion. Take it up as a challenge," the Bench told the police authorities.Addressing preventive measures, the Bench cautioned that merely installing static cameras without live intervention is inadequate. The Court directed the police to identify vulnerable pockets across the national capital and intensify surveillance around university campuses, schools, bus stops, railway stations, and metro stations..Don’t let us down. Every woman, every girl molested or raped is our sister, our mother.Supreme Court.The Bench also ordered prompt action against unauthorised eateries operating across the capital, observing that anti-social elements often gather at such places. It said that patrolling must be undertaken to keep a watch on such areas. "Act fast. Focus on educational institutions, where there are hooligans, goons, harassing young girl students, etc. We are also told there are thousands of illegal unauthorised eateries across Delhi where all anti social elements get together, they consume liquor, etc and we know what happened in 2012 (referring to the Nirbhaya gangrape case). Record reveals that all five culprits had food, consumed liquor, boarded the bus and then they committed the crime. You should identify all such vulnerable pockets and focus on all such illegal eateries," the Court said. .[Read Live Coverage]