New Delhi: The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognisance of a series of recent rape cases reported in Delhi and the National Capital Region, including the alleged gang rape of a minor on a moving sleeper bus. The court observed that the incidents bore “painful parallels” with the 2012 Nirbhaya case and raised concerns over failures in ensuring public safety.
A bench headed by Justice JB Pardiwala said the recent incidents pointed to shortcomings in law enforcement and public administration. The court stressed that public spaces such as buses and parks should not become unsafe areas because of inadequate lighting, surveillance or other basic safety measures.
The observations came against the backdrop of several disturbing cases. In one recent incident, a 17 year old girl who had travelled to south Delhi’s Kalkaji Mandir on her birthday was allegedly gang raped in a nearby park by men who reportedly posed as policemen.
The court said expressions of concern or solidarity following such incidents were not enough and stressed the need to establish accountability for failures that allow such crimes to occur.
The bench also referred to an August case involving a teenager travelling from Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh towards Noida. She was allegedly gang raped on a moving sleeper bus. According to the case details, curtains around the berths were allegedly used by the accused to conceal the crime, while the bus reportedly lacked a functioning CCTV system.
The Supreme Court’s reference to the 2012 Nirbhaya case recalls the nationwide outrage that followed the gang rape of a 23 year old woman on a moving bus in Delhi. Her subsequent death triggered widespread protests and led to significant changes in laws dealing with sexual offences and crimes against women.
The latest proceedings have once again brought questions over public safety, surveillance and enforcement of existing safeguards into focus.
