Increase policing in areas where crimes occur frequently: HC

The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed police to take "immediate steps" to increase policing in pockets in the city where crimes against women, including molestation and rape, occur more often than in other areas.

After taking into note a report submitted by police, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice B.D. Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul said crimes against women showed a pattern in terms of pockets where such crimes occur more frequently than in other areas.

Asking police to come out with a strategy to deal with the issue, the bench said: "These areas need immediate action from Delhi Police so far as policing, gender sensitisation drives, public awareness campaigns is concerned."

The bench had earlier asked police to conduct a "crime mapping" exercise, particularly on crimes against women.

The bench, during the hearing, said that instances of crimes against women were mostly confined to "semi-urban and semi-rural areas" of the city, while central and rural Delhi were mostly free from such instances.

The court directed police to file a status report within two weeks, indicating the measures they have taken after crime mapping was done and measures they propose to take to bring down these crimes.

It further directed police to carry out a sociological study as to why such crimes occur in certain pockets and posted the matter for further hearing May 21.

The court's order came while hearing a plea filed by advocate Gaurav Bansal, which cited surveys by independent organisations claiming a recent spurt in crimes and sought directions for taking adequate steps to prevent them.

The plea submitted a press release issued by Delhi Police in April 2013 which said incidents of molestation and harassment had recorded 600 percent and 783.67 percent rise respectively in recent years.