Delhi gang rape: Mehra panel slams police, transport dept

Justice Usha Mehra Commission has rapped the Delhi Police and the city transport department, saying lack of coordination between them allowed the bus used in December 16 gang rape case to ply uninterrupted despite being fined many times.

The commission also said there was no coordination between the capital's police and its counterparts in the neighbouring regions and sought framing of rules for better cooperation.

“We have recorded the statement of officials of the Delhi Police and the city transport department. We have found that there was lack of coordination between the police and the transport department. Despite being challaned many times, there was no action to prevent plying of the bus," Justice Mehra told reporters in the national capital after handing over the report to Law Minister Ashwani Kumar.

She said, "There was non-coordination between the police of NCT (NationalCapitalTerritory) and the NCR (National Capital Region). There is no rule so far on how will they work together if there is a crime.

"Rules must be framed on how to coordinate. There should be sensitisation at all levels," she said.

On the report of the commission, which was constituted to inquire into various aspects of the December 16 incident, Justice Mehra said when the accused were driving the bus on the roads in south Delhi while brutally assaulting the 23-year-girl, there was no police control room van to stop the bus or police picket on the roads.

She, however, said response of the police was "very quick" when the girl and her friend called for help and within six minutes of the message, a PCR van reached the stop and immediately took them to the hospital for treatment and this was corroborated by the friend of the deceased girl. The girl died in a Singapore hospital on December 29.