The Supreme Court has directed the Delhi Police to strengthen preventive policing to ensure women feel safe travelling or walking alone late at night in the national capital. A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran made the observations on October 5 while hearing a suo motu proceeding concerning recent sexual offences against women and minor girls in Delhi-NCR.
The Court emphasized that preventing crime should be the immediate priority rather than merely prosecuting offenders after incidents occur. It called for intensified surveillance at vulnerable locations including bus stands, Metro and railway stations, parks, subways, and areas outside schools and colleges, particularly Delhi University's North and South campuses.
The Bench also stressed regular beat patrolling, effective deployment of Police Control Room vehicles, and continuous monitoring of CCTV footage. It directed authorities to conduct surveys of vulnerable areas, prepare district-wise vulnerability maps, and audit street lighting and CCTV coverage. The matter is scheduled for next hearing on November 13.
