Dikshit seeks 5 fast track courts for rape cases

Amid widespread outrage over the barbaric gangrape of a girl inside a moving bus, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Tuesday urged the Chief Justice of Delhi high court to immediately make functional five special fast track courts to try cases of assault on women, as approved by the Delhi government.

The chief minister, in a letter to Justice Darmar Murugesan, urged him to take "urgent" action in making the fast track courts functional.

She said the city government had already approved setting up of the fast track courts to deal with the cases of sexual assault on women and to provide speedy justice and conviction of the guilty.

Dikshit said the courts have not been made functional despite the Delhi government conveying the high court about its approval to the proposal in October.

Referring to the gangrape and brutal assault on the girl on Sunday evening, Dikshit suggested to Justice Murugesan that bail should not be given to those involved in heinous crimes against women.

"This would additionally act as a strong deterrent," she added.

Dikshit stated that "in view of the rising number of such crimes against women and to provide immediate deterrent punishment to the guilty, the suggestions may be considered seriously and urgently."

The chief minister said her government would extend any possible support required in making the courts functional at the earliest.

The girl, a paramedical student, was raped and brutally assaulted before being thrown out of the moving vehicle with her male friend.

"This is a shocking incident and we will take all necessary action to ensure that such incidents do not recur in future. At the same time we need to have deterrent punishment to the perpetrators of such crime against women," Dikshit said.

She said Delhi government does not have any control over police, and it will seek the same from the Centre.

Delhi's Minister for Women and Child Welfare Kiran Walia said Delhi government was working on installing CCTV cameras in all the buses in the city so that women feel safe while travelling in the buses.

"The Delhi government would now seriously work on installing CCTV cameras inside the buses," she said.

The chief minister is likely to meet Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to seek his immediate intervention in ensuring a foolproof law and order situation in Delhi. Chairperson and members of Delhi Commission for Women would also accompany Dikshit during the meeting.

Meanwhile, DCW chairperson Barkha Singh demanded deployment of guards in all private and government-run buses in Delhi while seeking immediate installation of CCTV cameras in them.

She demanded removal of tinted glasses from all buses in the city urgently.