The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Delhi Police and the city government to enhance beat patrolling across the national capital — particularly around educational institutions — and undertake strict verification of drivers and assistants of public transport vehicles, stressing that crime prevention must be visible on the ground and not confined to paperwork.
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran issued the directions in a suo motu case titled 'In Re: Recent rape incidents in Delhi NCR', registered by the apex court following reports of recent sexual assault incidents in the region. The court also directed that unauthorised liquor shops and establishments operating without requisite permissions be identified and dealt with in accordance with law.
Tighter checks around schools
The court said beat patrolling should be strengthened around schools, colleges and coaching centres, where young students may be vulnerable, with police presence visible and regular, especially during early morning and evening hours when students commute. The October 5 order was uploaded on the Supreme Court website on Thursday.
The bench ordered strict verification of drivers and helpers of government and private buses, cabs, taxis, auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws — including those linked to app-based aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido. Only duly registered and verified persons may operate such vehicles, and vehicles must display the names and photographs of verified drivers and assistants in a manner visible to passengers. Substitution or sub-letting of driving duties to unverified drivers is to be prohibited.
War rooms and accountability
The court underscored real-time monitoring of police patrolling and CCTV infrastructure through dedicated control-room command centres or "war rooms", feeding into a field-level response mechanism for timely deployment. It also asked authorities to examine vehicle-tracking and SOS systems, conduct periodic and surprise checks at vehicle checkpoints, and identify unauthorised liquor outlets for action.
The Delhi police commissioner and the Delhi chief secretary were made personally answerable for implementation, and the matter has been posted for further hearing on November 16.
Sources: SC orders enhanced patrolling near educational institutions, driver verification in Delhi NCR — New Indian Express; Delhi women's safety: Supreme Court directs Delhi police to step up patrolling — The Statesman; SC Seeks Tighter Policing Near Delhi Schools, Colleges — Deccan Chronicle
A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran issued the directions in a suo motu case titled 'In Re: Recent rape incidents in Delhi NCR', registered by the apex court following reports of recent sexual assault incidents in the region. The court also directed that unauthorised liquor shops and establishments operating without requisite permissions be identified and dealt with in accordance with law.
Tighter checks around schools
The court said beat patrolling should be strengthened around schools, colleges and coaching centres, where young students may be vulnerable, with police presence visible and regular, especially during early morning and evening hours when students commute. The October 5 order was uploaded on the Supreme Court website on Thursday.
The bench ordered strict verification of drivers and helpers of government and private buses, cabs, taxis, auto-rickshaws and e-rickshaws — including those linked to app-based aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido. Only duly registered and verified persons may operate such vehicles, and vehicles must display the names and photographs of verified drivers and assistants in a manner visible to passengers. Substitution or sub-letting of driving duties to unverified drivers is to be prohibited.
War rooms and accountability
The court underscored real-time monitoring of police patrolling and CCTV infrastructure through dedicated control-room command centres or "war rooms", feeding into a field-level response mechanism for timely deployment. It also asked authorities to examine vehicle-tracking and SOS systems, conduct periodic and surprise checks at vehicle checkpoints, and identify unauthorised liquor outlets for action.
The Delhi police commissioner and the Delhi chief secretary were made personally answerable for implementation, and the matter has been posted for further hearing on November 16.
Sources: SC orders enhanced patrolling near educational institutions, driver verification in Delhi NCR — New Indian Express; Delhi women's safety: Supreme Court directs Delhi police to step up patrolling — The Statesman; SC Seeks Tighter Policing Near Delhi Schools, Colleges — Deccan Chronicle
