Supreme Court takes suo motu cognizance of two Delhi rape cases akin to Nirbhaya

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of two recent rape cases in Delhi. The apex court’s crucial intervention is in the wake of an incident in which a girl was sexually abused on a bus travelling from Greater Noida to Delhi and another in which a girl was raped at a park in Delhi.

The court observed that the two incidents were similar to the Nirbhaya case that happened in 2012. The court criticized the security forces for failing to prevent such serious incidents despite the occurrence of these issues in the national capital. The court then directed that suo motu cases be registered in both issues.

The court criticised the police for failing to prevent incidents of sexual abuse in Delhi. Adequate surveillance and security measures had not been put in place even in public spaces such as buses and parks. The court also observed that some places lacked even basic lighting facilities to ensure adequate visibility at night.

The court stated that merely expressing solidarity with the victims was not enough and that concrete action was necessary. It noted that the police had shown serious lapses in taking action and directed that those responsible for these failures be identified.