Supreme Court urges police to instill fear in offenders to protect Delhi-NCR women
The Supreme Court, hearing a suo motu case on recent rapes in Delhi-NCR, told police to create fear among potential perpetrators to ensure women's safety.
During a suo motu hearing titled “In Re: Recent rape incidents in Delhi NCR,” Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran of the Supreme Court stressed that preventing crimes requires police to instill fear in potential offenders. The bench noted that women, particularly in vulnerable areas of Delhi-NCR, do not feel safe after dark, whether traveling by road or metro. They cited the alleged gang-rape of a 17-year-old at Aastha Kunj Park, the gang-rape and murder of a teenage girl in Swaroop Nagar, and the sexual assault of a minor on a sleeper bus covering more than 47 km from Greater Noida to Delhi as evidence of systemic law-enforcement lapses.
The court had taken suo motu cognizance of these incidents on September 28, describing them as a sign of broader failure. The judges urged coordinated action to ensure women’s safety at 11 pm and to deter anti-social elements, underscoring a judicial push for stronger preventive measures against gender-based violence.
Why it matters
It highlights the Supreme Court's push for stronger preventive action against gender-based violence in India's capital region.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTAll camps report that the Supreme Court instructed police to create or instill fear in potential offenders to ensure women's safety in Delhi-NCR.
LEFT
The court urged police to create fear in anti-social elements to protect women.
CENTER
The bench said police must create fear among goons to prevent crimes against women.
RIGHT
Justices stressed police should instill fear in offenders to safeguard Delhi-NCR women.
The left emphasises
- create fear in minds of anti-social elements
- ensure every woman feels safe even at 11 pm
- prevent crime rather than respond after it occurs
The right emphasises
- instill fear in potential offenders
- women, especially in vulnerable areas, do not feel safe after dark
- cite multiple rape incidents as evidence of systemic lapses
In this story
