A judicial inquiry into Delhi’s sensational gang rape case has blamed the police and city transport department for allowing the bus used in 16 December incident to ply uninterrupted despite violation of rules and found there was no coordination.
The Justice Usha Mehra Commission, which was constituted to inquire into various aspects of 16 December gang rape, also said when the accused were driving the bus on the roads in south Delhi while brutally assaulting the 23-year-girl, there was no PCR van to stop the bus or police picket on the roads.
‘We have recorded the statement of officials of the Delhi Police and city transport department. We have found that there was lack of coordination between the police and transport department. Despite being challaned many times, there was no action against the bus,’ Justice Mehra said after handing over the report to Law Minister Ashwani Kumar.
She said, ‘There was non-coordination between police of NCT (National Capital Territory) and NCR (National Capital Region). There is no rule so far on how will they work together if there is a crime’.
‘Rules must be framed on how to coordinate. There should be sensitisation at all levels,’ she said.
Justice Mehra, a retired judge of the Delhi High Court, however, said response of police was ‘very quick’ when the girl and her friend called for help and within six minutes of the message, a police control room (PCR) van reached them and immediately took them to hospital for treatment and this was corroborated by the friend of the deceased girl. The girl had died in Singapore on 29 December. The Law Minister said the central government will take suitable action to the extent possible on the recommendations of the commission.
‘The commission prepared the report ahead of time. It has concentrated on three to four principal issues – sensitisation of police, coordination of the police and transport departments and sensitisation of the media,’ he said.
The commission has suggested that there should be a revisit on the education standards and ‘girls should be taught about what is good gesture and what is bad gesture’. Justice Mehra, a retired judge of the Delhi High Court, said a system should be put in place in which there should be a ‘push button in mobile phones through which family or police could be reached immediately when anyone is in distress’.
The Justice Usha Mehra Commission, which was constituted to inquire into various aspects of 16 December gang rape, also said when the accused were driving the bus on the roads in south Delhi while brutally assaulting the 23-year-girl, there was no PCR van to stop the bus or police picket on the roads.
‘We have recorded the statement of officials of the Delhi Police and city transport department. We have found that there was lack of coordination between the police and transport department. Despite being challaned many times, there was no action against the bus,’ Justice Mehra said after handing over the report to Law Minister Ashwani Kumar.
She said, ‘There was non-coordination between police of NCT (National Capital Territory) and NCR (National Capital Region). There is no rule so far on how will they work together if there is a crime’.
‘Rules must be framed on how to coordinate. There should be sensitisation at all levels,’ she said.
Justice Mehra, a retired judge of the Delhi High Court, however, said response of police was ‘very quick’ when the girl and her friend called for help and within six minutes of the message, a police control room (PCR) van reached them and immediately took them to hospital for treatment and this was corroborated by the friend of the deceased girl. The girl had died in Singapore on 29 December. The Law Minister said the central government will take suitable action to the extent possible on the recommendations of the commission.
‘The commission prepared the report ahead of time. It has concentrated on three to four principal issues – sensitisation of police, coordination of the police and transport departments and sensitisation of the media,’ he said.
The commission has suggested that there should be a revisit on the education standards and ‘girls should be taught about what is good gesture and what is bad gesture’. Justice Mehra, a retired judge of the Delhi High Court, said a system should be put in place in which there should be a ‘push button in mobile phones through which family or police could be reached immediately when anyone is in distress’.