In a suo‑motu hearing titled "In Re: Recent rape incidents in Delhi NCR," a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran sat in the Supreme Court on Monday.
They told Delhi Police that a pervasive sense of insecurity still lingers in some parts of the National Capital Region, and that every woman should feel safe even at 11 pm.
The court ordered the police to intensify surveillance and patrolling at bus stands, railway and metro stations, parks, schools and colleges, and to maintain continuous monitoring of CCTV feeds.
Justice Pardiwala warned that the court’s mandate is to prevent crime, not to respond after the fact, and recalled the 2012 Nirbhaya gang‑rape to underline the stakes.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who had already briefed the bench, urged the police to focus on ‘grey areas’ that allow offenders to act, and the amicus highlighted recruitment gaps that hamper effective patrolling.
Delhi Police officials present at the hearing are expected to submit a detailed implementation plan to the Supreme Court before the next session, according to the bench’s directions.