Supreme Court directs Delhi Police to establish 24-hour monitoring cells against sexual crimes
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Delhi Police to establish 24-hour monitoring cells for continuous surveillance of vulnerable areas to prevent sexual offences in the capital. Hearing a suo motu case on Delhi-NCR rapes, a Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran emphasised that mere installation of CCTV cameras in public spaces would serve little purpose without continuous monitoring to detect suspicious activity and enable swift police response. The court observed that while cameras help catch culprits after crimes occur, a dedicated 24-hour monitoring cell is essential to prevent such crimes from happening in the first place.
The Bench also directed the Delhi Police to strengthen patrolling, particularly around educational institutions and public spaces. The court stressed the need to intensify patrolling around colleges and educational institutions where miscreants frequently harass young girl students. Additionally, the court asked police to take action against illegal eateries across the Capital that were frequented by miscreants.
The court underlined the need to take preventive measures against sexual offences and observed that there was a need to create fear in the minds of goons committing crimes against women. The Bench emphasised that these directives must be implemented on the ground and not remain merely on paper, highlighting the court's intention to fix accountability on authorities entrusted with preventing crime and protecting vulnerable persons.
