Delhi more unsafe than Zafar’s time

The Rs 1.5 crore heist by two motorcycle-borne robbers during the daytime from a busy market after gunning down a security guard underlines the poor state of law and order in the national Capital. The incident took place less than 500 metres from police station. This is not an isolated incident. The capital has been under the assault of the criminals for some time now and the Delhi police have found itself absolutely hapless to counter the situation. Worse, in the recent past, about half-a-dozen incidents have been reported where cops were attacked by the criminals when the policemen on duty tried to either stop or chase them on suspicion. And such incidents are no more happening on the capital’s outskirts.  In the middle October, on a Saturday evening, three criminals opened fire at two constables who were patrolling in Delhi’s heart, Connaught Place, leaving one cop injured. In less than 48 hours of the Connaught Place incident another constable fell to the bullets of the criminals while doing his job in the outer district. This incident took place just 500 metres from the police station with the criminals caring a damn about the possible presence of more cops in the garrison nearby. 

       

What’s more worrying is that the Kamala Nagar crime has also taken place close to the police station and this is not in outer Delhi but inside a busy business district. On the eve of Independence Day, when the city is supposed to be on maximum alert, two school buses, in a never before incident, became targets of road rage. And again the incidents did not take place on the outskirts but in the densely populated residential colonies. Even the phishing scams, which were thought to be executed from far off Nigeria, have actually come to have firm roots in the national capital. This has all happened because the cops have decided to look the other way, much to the misery of the citizens of the city. What has come to enfeeble Delhi Police in such a big way that none in the national Capital feels safe. The answer lies in the poor leadership of the top brass. With no representative government in place, the Delhi Police Commissioner doesn’t feel accountable to the citizens of the city. With Home Minister Rajnath Singh being kept busy in assignments outside Delhi, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung’s Nero-like regime is having carefree run in the Capital. Delhi was not as unsafe even under the last Mughal Bahadur Shah Zafar.