New Delhi: Coming down heavily on police for its “shoddy” probe into rising cases of crime against women in the national capital, the Delhi High Court today said this has led to lack of fear for law in the minds of the perpetrators.
A bench of Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul slammed Delhi Police saying its crime investigation is “going downhill” nowadays and asked it to “shape up”.
It also expressed dissatisfaction with the Delhi Police affidavit containing the comparative chart of crimes against women reported in 44 red-flagged areas of the capital from January 1 to April 15 and from April 16 to July 31.
The bench said comparison of crimes committed in the two periods is like “comparing apples with oranges” and directed the police to present a more “detailed, correct and complete picture” of the status of offences against women in those areas, specifically in Mehrauli, Govindpuri, Hauz Khas and Safdarjung Enclave, and measures taken to curb the same.
“We are not satisfied with affidavit submitted by Delhi Police and are returning the same, so that a better one with charts, tables and more details can be filed. The affidavit is to deal particularly with the police stations of Mehrauli, Govindpuri, Hauz Khas and Safdarjung Enclave.
“It shall indicate measures taken in these areas by the police for bringing down women-related crime that we are concerned with. It shall also indicate whether proper investigative methods are being employed in probing the matters as well as whether scientific methods are being employed by the officers in each and every case,” the bench said and listed the matter for further hearing on October 15.
The court directed the police to also deal with the points in the report of Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) with respect to the hotspots and reasons for crime in the red-flagged areas.
The court was hearing a plea filed by Nandita Dhar through advocate Gaurav Bansal against the incidents of eve-teasing in the capital.
