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Delhi high court chides government over lawlessness

The Delhi high court today expressed strong displeasure over the worsening law and order in the capital before issuing show-cause notices to the home ministry, Delhi government and Delhi police on a public interest petition highlighting the growing crimes, especially cases of robbery.

A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Mahinder Narain and Justice S K Mahajan ordered the respondents to explain as to what steps were taken in view of the ''state of lawlessness which seems to have affected the national capital''.

Expressing serious concern over the situation, the bench observed, ''One can imagine an incident taking place in an isolated place, but can you imagine a situation where buses were being looted in daylight in a city?''

Counsel for the central government Rakesh Tikku, who received the notice, and counsel for the Delhi government and Delhi police S K Aggarwal, were directed to file their replies stating their position within ten days. The case would come up for further hearing on August 3.

The bench shared the view of the petitioner that the reports of robbery, murders and other similar crimes were growing day-by-day in the capital and has today caused an alarming situation where the authorities seem to have failed in their effort to maintain law and order.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Rajeev Awasti urging the court to direct the home minister, under whom the Delhi police falls, to place the status report with regard to the steps taken for ensuring the safety and security of the public at large in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

Advocate Awasti, arguing the case in person, further requested the court to direct the Delhi government and the Delhi police to improve the law and order situation and state the reasons for the extreme deterioration in the situation over the past few months.

The petition sought a direction from the court for immediately clearing the proposal of setting up of new police stations and also recruitment of the personnel in the Delhi police.

The worsening situation could be gauged from the fact that the home minister had to constitute a committee of members of Parliament from Delhi to monitor the law and order situation closely.

He said reports appearing in newspapers every day and the failure of the law-enforcing agencies to bring the situation under control substantiated the charge.

The petition stated that for the last month, various crimes were being reported every day such as daylight robberies, chain snatching, murder, rape, assault and murder of elderly people, but the pathetic and callous approach of the police to enquire about and to protect and prevent such incidents and their failure to curb them were writ large. In certain cases, even the policemen have been found to be involved, the petition alleged.

The incidents have created an atmosphere of unrest and fear in the minds of the general public who are afraid to move out of their houses, it added.

About the Delhi police, the petitioner claimed the downfall in its performance is the result of interference by higher officials and politicians. The frequent changes at the level of station house officer to commissioner also contributed to the coordination among the police force.

Although there were 50,000 police personnel in the city, only 25,000 to 30,000 were being used for public safety, Awasti claimed adding that the rest were being utilised for monitoring the security of VIPs and VVIPs.

The diversion of more police personnel in case of the visit of any dignitary further reduced the strength available for public security, he said.

He said there was still a need for 50 more police stations in the city to manage the increase in geographical boundaries and population. The proposal for setting up 17 new police stations was pending for clearance for the last 10 years, he added.

It was important to note that to manage the existing 1,450 beats in the capital, the Delhi Police needed at least 4,350 head constables in comparision to the present number of 1,880 and 8,700 constables as against the present 2,472, the petition pointed out.

The petition also highlighted the pathetic situation faced by the constables who are being made to work for 14 to 16 hours a day without any weekly-offs though their remunerations were very less.

The average registration of cases in the capital was around 75,000, but hardly 30 to 40 per cent were being properly attended to. There is also a lack of proper coordination between the Delhi police and the police of neighbouring states, the petition claimed.

UNI

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