Can't help but draw parallels to Nirbhaya case: Supreme Court takes note of Delhi rapes

The Supreme Court took note of the recent rape cases in Delhi and sharply rebuked the Delhi Police and authorities, saying the incidents "starkly underline a systematic failure" to guarantee basic public safety. The court said it could not help but draw "painful parallels" with the 2012 Nirbhaya case.

In Short

• Supreme Court says expressing solidarity in rape cases not a solution
• Demands better lighting and surveillance in public spaces like parks and buses
• Remarks come as Delhi witnesses 4 rapes involving minors in 2 weeks

The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Delhi Police and the Delhi government over a spate of rape cases in the capital, saying such incidents “starkly underlined a systematic failure” to guarantee basic public safety. The court’s stinging response came as the city reported four rape cases involving minors in the past two weeks.

Taking note of the cases, a bench led by Justice JB Pardiwala said public spaces such as parks and buses cannot become “zones of high risk” because of inadequate lighting, surveillance and other administrative facilities.

"These incidents starkly highlight a failure of law enforcement. Public spaces, including parks and buses, cannot be permitted to become zones of high risk due to lack of illumination, poor surveillance and other administrative facilities," the bench said.

The court said the incidents raised serious concerns about law enforcement and public administration and stressed that the right to live with dignity and free from fear is part of fundamental rights. “One cannot help but draw painful parallels to the Nirbhaya incident of 2012,” it said.

The Nirbhaya case pertains to the gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old physiotherapy student in Delhi. She was raped by six people, including a minor, on a moving bus on December 16, 2012. She died in a Singapore hospital on December 29. The brutal attack sparked nationwide protests and led to significant changes in India’s laws on sexual offences and crimes against women.

The Supreme Court criticised statements by public representatives expressing concern over the rape incidents, saying that expressions of solidarity without accountability were not enough. “Expressing solidarity is not a solution. What is required is a measurable response,” the bench observed.

FOUR RAPES IN TWO WEEKS IN DELHI

The Supreme Court's intervention came after the national capital was rocked by four cases of rapes involving minors in the past two weeks. The incidents triggered protests from students and women's groups, demanding better police action and safety measures for girls and women.

On September 10, a 17-year-old girl went to meet a friend in northwest Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar, where police said she was gangraped by him and his friends before being murdered. She was stabbed eight times, and her body was found on September 13, with stray dogs having mauled it. Police arrested four suspects, including three minors.

A six-year-old girl was raped by a man on Deshbandhu Gupta Road in central Delhi on September 14. The accused, identified as Ankit, was arrested by police.

On September 17, an 11-year-old girl was raped by a 56-year-old tailor inside his shop in Old Delhi's Sadar Bazaar. The accused, identified as Maqsood, tied the minor's hands and legs and raped her. He was arrested and sent to judicial custody.

A 17-year-old girl was gang-raped by three men posing as police personnel inside Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Temple on September 21. All three accused – Asif, Hemant and Mukesh – were arrested.

According to police, the teenager and her male friend visited Kalkaji Temple before going to Aastha Kunj Park. Three men posing as policemen confronted them, separated the girl from her friend and took her to a secluded spot, where they raped her.

On September 23, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu ordered a safety audit of all city parks within a week following the Kalkaji gangrape incident. He also directed the deployment of Pink Police personnel around parks, with the audit focusing on lighting, security, patrolling and cleanliness.

MINOR RAPED IN MOVING BUS IN NCR

Apart from the rape incidents in Delhi, a 16-year-old Class 11 student from Uttar Pradesh was raped by a bus driver and conductor while travelling on a bus from Greater Noida to Delhi on August 4.

Police said the girl had been offered a lift amid heavy rain after she reached Pari Chowk while travelling to Noida. The accused, driver Kuldeep and conductor Sandeep, raped her during the 47-km journey and threatened to kill her. They later dropped her near Kashmere Gate ISBT in Delhi and fled.

The girl subsequently approached the Kashmere Gate police station. Both the accused have been arrested, while the bus was seized and sent for forensic examination.

- Ends