Women’s safety: HC seeks Delhi Police chief’s presence in court

New Delhi, Nov 16 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought presence of the Delhi Police Commissioner before it on December 11 with a plan to bring down crime against women in the national capital.

A division bench of Justice S. Ravinder Bhat and Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva directed that either the Police Commissioner or a person similar to his rank like Special Joint Commissioner or Joint Commissioner should to be present in the court on women safety issue.

"The court has to make sure there is effective policing, investigation and preventive or remedial measures in place," the bench said.

During the hearing of a plea on safety of women here, Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal told the court that crime rate in the city was very high.

"In past 10 days, three minor girl children have been sexually assaulted. I visited them and their condition was very bad. It was very painful.

"I visited several police stations in the capital at night and the strength of police personal there was less than 50 per cent as against the requirement. How the law and order will improve if Delhi doesn't have required police force," Maliwal, who was seen weeping during the argument, told the court.

The court asked Maliwal on an average, how many rapes would take place in Delhi, she replied the average was three rapes a day.

Advocate Meera Bhatia, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the case, told the court that the Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) should be made responsible for any crime in their area, as police know who the criminals are.

"If responsibility will be fixed, crime rate will be come down," Bhatia said.

The bench also asked the central government to take on "war footing" the process of recruiting more police personal in Delhi Police force.

The court was hearing a petition initiated by it to improve women safety in the capital after the December 16, 2012 gang-rape of a young woman in a moving bus.