New Delhi/ AMN
Praja Foundation in its Annual Report on the State of Policing and Law & Order in Delhi suggest a sharp increase in crime in Delhi. PRAJA is an NGO for creating an accountable and efficient society through people’s participation.
Parja report said that the total numbers of rape cases reported in 2014 were 2075; in 2015, the number of reported rape case increased to 2338. An alarming number of Burglary cases were reported in 2015, a total of 13,577 cases which is followed by robbery and dacoity complaints registered at 8067.
While, 12,913 complaints were registered against Delhi Police personnel in 2015, only 7 Cases in which the Police Personnel were Charge-Sheeted. Out of the total number of complaints, there were 1057Police Personnel against whom disciplinary action was initiated during the year.
The central government which is in charge of policing in Delhi had promised along with state government to take steps to protect the citizens of Delhi but most of the promises are not fulfilled.The recommended State Security Commission (SSC) mechanism, which would consist of the Lt. Governor, Chief Minister of Delhi, Commissioner of Police, Leader of Opposition and other functionaries, for the smooth functioning of the Delhi Police, it is yet to be formed.
Nitai Mehta, Founder and Managing Trustee of Praja Foundation said, “We need to pressurise the Government to implement policy changes. The Supreme Court has already set a list of police reforms to improve the state of law and policing in Delhi, there should be action taken on those recommendations. We also need to see our Elected Representatives taking active and constant interest in on issues of Law and Order in Delhi.”
According to Praja’s data collected through household survey of over 29,950 households’ shows that 60% of the population does not feel safe in Delhi, 67% feel that Delhi is not safe for women, children and senior citizens, and 64% do not feel safe traveling within Delhi. Furthermore, the lack of faith in Delhi citizens with regard to policing is shocking as only 25% of people who have faced a crime have not informed the police.
Adding further to enunciate this point Milind Mhaske, Project Director of Praja added, “People are losing faith in the state to give them protection. The dismal interest of Delhi’s MPs (Members of Parliament) is very evident – they have only raised 9 questions in Budget 2014 to Budget 2015 and 10 questions in Monsoon 2015 to Budget 2016 on the issue of crime and policing in Delhi.”
Mhaske further added, “Certain solutions to improve the law and order in the city were promised, like adequate streets light, so that women feel safer in their streets, last mile connectivity and making public transport feasible, and netter judiciary response and speedy trial, delivering justice to women, but these are yet to turn into something more than paperwork.”
Concluding the annual report, Mehta stressed that strict compliance of regulations and improving the image of police in the minds of common citizens through building activities between community based organisations and citizen groups and police, will positively affect the sense of security and safety in Delhi.Effective monitoring, feedback and implementation of law & order and various other consultative mechanisms in Police reforms are the key to better governance and policing in Delhi. Till this is not done we will continue to see a slide in lawlessness.