New Delhi. In a landmark directive, the Supreme Court has urged Delhi’s law‑enforcement agencies to shift from a reactive stance to a forward‑looking, preventive policing model, citing a worrying rise in sexual‑offence cases across the city and its peripheries.
Ground‑level vigilance must be heightened
The bench, comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran, probed the Delhi Police on lapses in security within high‑risk localities. They emphasized that beat‑wise patrols should be continuous, with police vehicles constantly moving rather than idling, to project an unmistakable deterrent presence.
Authorities were instructed to chart poorly illuminated streets, narrow lanes and other vulnerable hotspots. Officers are to liaise with residents, record grievances about inadequate lighting, suspicious movements, and any other safety‑related concerns.
Colleges and illegal eateries under the microscope
The Court highlighted the environs of higher‑education institutions, where female students frequently encounter harassment, and flagged unlicensed food stalls that often become rendezvous points for anti‑social elements. It urged police to exploit existing intelligence frameworks and surveillance assets, including the national sexual‑offender database, to pinpoint and monitor potential perpetrators.
A preventive, coordinated strategy
Referencing recent high‑profile incidents that triggered suo motu action, the justices asked whether alerts concerning suspected offenders were being acted upon promptly. They stressed that averting crime must take precedence over post‑incident response, calling for seamless collaboration between police and other relevant agencies.
The judges also sought information on any dedicated “war‑room” or monitoring hub that aggregates security threats across the National Capital Region. While insisting that police actions remain within legal bounds, they made clear that decisive, swift measures should not be delayed when necessary.
These observations arrive as the Supreme Court continues to adjudicate matters linked to recent sexual‑crime cases in Delhi‑NCR.
