'Systematic Failure': SC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Delhi-NCR Minor's Gang-Rape on Bus
A minor’s alleged gang rape on a Greater Noida bus prompts the Supreme Court to draw parallels with Nirbhaya and question public safety.
By Pranjal Gupta
New Delhi, September 28: The Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of the gang rape of a minor girl in a moving bus in Delhi-NCR, questioning whether law enforcement has made any progress since the Nirbhaya case in 2012.
The bench, consisting of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran, stated that there was a striking similarity between the two incidents. In 2012, a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern was travelling on a private bus with a male friend when six men attacked them. The woman was subjected to severe rape and torture with iron rods before being thrown onto the road. After battling for her life for days, the intern, who the nation later recognised as Nirbhaya (fearless), died during the treatment.
The incident had sparked nationwide outrage and prompted the authorities to reform laws and policies to ensure women’s safety.
The court stressed that such cases happening today underline a systematic failure on the part of law enforcement authorities.
"The reports of rape cases in Delhi-NCR starkly underline a systematic failure on the part of law enforcement and the public administrative authorities to guarantee basic public safety," the bench said.
The top court said public spaces, including parks and buses, cannot be permitted to become zones of high risk due to a lack of illumination, poor surveillance and other administrative deficiencies.
A 16-year-old girl, who boarded a sleeper bus in Greater Noida, was allegedly gang-raped by its conductor and driver and abandoned near Kashmere Gate, more than 40 km away in Old Delhi, on August 4. The two accused have been arrested.
The crime brought back painful memories of the 2012 gang rape and murder in Delhi, known as the Nirbhaya case.
(With PTI Inputs)
