'Create Fear Among Criminals': Supreme Court Directs Delhi Police to be "Very Harsh" on Crimes Against Women Amid Rising Rape Cases in the Capital

ON MONDAY, October 5, 2026, the Supreme Court directed the Delhi Police to take strict action against those committing crimes against women. The bench, led by Justice JB Pardiwala, said this while hearing a suo motu case over recent incidents of rape, harassment and other crimes against women in Delhi-NCR. The court said that to curb these crimes, it is necessary to create fear among those committing them.

The court said that the Delhi Police needs to create an environment where women feel safe while travelling at night in public places. If they are using public transport, they should not fear being raped, assaulted or harassed and should be able to walk freely on the streets. The Supreme Court said to the Delhi Police that they need to be “very harsh” against the offenders.

See Also: 30-Year-Old Woman Gang-Raped in Delhi on a Moving Bus; Police Seize Vehicle and Arrest Two Accused

Women Should Feel Safe Even at 10 pm: Supreme Court to Delhi Police

Justice Pardiwala said that every woman in the National Capital Territory must feel safe, “We must ensure that every young girl, every woman in the city of Delhi should feel safe even at 10 o’clock, 11 o’clock in the night.” The court flagged concerns about women’s safety in certain parts of the national capital, calling them ‘vulnerable pockets.’

He also said that we shouldn’t wait for the crime to happen and then work on it, but need to ensure safety and stop the crime altogether. “What is important is to prevent the crime, not what you do after the crime is committed,” Pardiwala said. He said if Delhi Police needs to get into action, they can get a little more strict, a little more harsh, and they should not hesitate.

The Supreme Court also said that deficiencies in the crime should not affect the conditions in the capital which allow crimes to happen. They said that unless the police create fear in the minds of criminals, no one will be able to prevent crime. “You need to create a fright, a fear in the mind of a man who is prone to commit such offences,” Justice Pardiwala said.

The court observed that rape is not acceptable in society. They observed that such crimes underline systematic failures in the society’s law enforcement.

See Also: 16-Year-Old Gang-Raped by Driver and Conductor in Delhi Sleeper Bus, Both Arrested; Further Investigation Underway

SC Takes Suo Motu Cognizance of Rape Cases Against Minors in Delhi

The apex court took suo motu cognizance of rising rape cases against young girls in the capital, including the gang rape case of a 17-year-old girl in Astha Kunj Park, the sexual assault of a minor in a moving sleeper bus, a teenage girl’s case in the Swaroop Nagar area, and many other cases of assault in Delhi. They expressed displeasure over recent incidents, including cases of sexual violence against minors.

The court also observed that at least 13 cases of sexual assault have been reported in the national capital in a month. They registered the matter as a writ petition in public interest and ordered an immediate four-week audit of security infrastructure across the capital.

The bench has hence highlighted administrative failure and the failure of law enforcement in the capital and said that the right to live is an integral part of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.

(Edited by Harsh Pandey)

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