The Supreme Court of India, which directed Delhi authorities to strengthen policing and verification measures around educational institutions and public transport. (DC File image)

The Supreme Court has directed Delhi Police and the city government to enhance beat patrolling, particularly around educational institutions, and ensure strict verification of drivers and assistants engaged in public transport vehicles.

Passing directions in a suo motu case titled ‘In Re: Recent rape incidents in Delhi NCR’, the court also ordered that unauthorised liquor shops and establishments operating without requisite permissions be identified and dealt with in accordance with law.

A two-judge bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran issued notices to the Union home ministry and the Delhi transport department and posted the matter for hearing on November 16.

In its October 5 order, the court said the maintenance of public spaces, visible police patrolling and surveillance, and prompt action to address reported deficiencies were equally important to crime prevention.

“These would simultaneously instil confidence amongst citizens and fear amongst potential perpetrators that public spaces all across the city are being effectively watched and monitored,” it said.

The bench stressed the need for effective real-time monitoring of police patrolling and CCTV infrastructure through dedicated control room command centres or “war rooms”.

Information gathered by these centres must feed into an effective field-level response mechanism, enabling timely deployment or intervention whenever a vulnerability, incident or deficiency is detected, it said.

The court directed the Delhi police commissioner and the Delhi chief secretary to submit a joint report on whether such command centres existed, their number and the areas they covered.

The report must also detail the protocols for real-time coordination, communication and deployment of emergency assistance once information is received by the centres.

The bench said citizens should be encouraged to communicate grievances and share information about criminal or delinquent activity in their neighbourhoods.

“Hence, the police and the local administration shall consider instituting regular citizen-engagement meetings under the supervision of an officer to be designated for the purpose so that grievances may be received directly and their follow-up monitored efficiently,” it said.

Training in preventive policing should form part of the induction of police personnel and be reinforced through periodic training, the court said.

It directed Delhi Police, the local administration and the transport department to immediately undertake measures including enhanced beat patrolling.

The bench ordered strict verification of drivers and assistants engaged in government and private buses; cabs, taxis and rickshaws linked to app-based aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido; and privately operated cabs, taxis and autorickshaws.

Only duly registered and verified persons should be permitted to operate these vehicles, it said.

The court also stressed that a system seeking to inspire public confidence must protect citizens both from crime and from the unlawful or disproportionate exercise of state power.

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