Women safety: Delhi government merely 'shuttling files', says HC

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today pulled up the city government for dilly-dally on the issue of women's safety in the capital and said it was merely "shuttling files" from one department to another without any result.

"It is alarming that crime against women is on rise. All bureaucrats are non interested. They are making fool of the courts and just push the paper. Files are shuttling from one department to another without any result," a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul said.

"We want to see more charge sheets end up into conviction. We want proper conclusion with respect to crime so that it is controlled. Innocents are being put into jail and criminals are roaming free. We are here for what citizens deserve," it said.

The court, which had taken suo motu cognisance of the December 16 gangrape, has been issuing a slew of directions on issues including women safety and compensation for victims.

The court on August 6 had directed the government to clear its backlog of cases in which compensation was awarded, but was not paid.

On the issue of setting up additional Forensic Science Laboratories, the bench was informed by the Delhi government that the laboratory at Yashwant Place has been commissioned, however, only a skeletal staff was working there.

The bench directed the Delhi government to fully commission the laboratory within two months besides directing Public Works Department and finance department to fully coordinate with home department.

The bench also expressed unhappiness with current time schedule of December 2017 for commissioning labs at Sheikh Sarai, Rohini and Sayurpur in Mehrauli here and directed that a revised time schedule be filed.

On creation of additional 14,489 posts in Delhi Police, the court directed the Centre to expedite induction of over 14,689 additional personnel into Delhi Police and posted the matter for next hearing on December 17.