The Supreme Court told the Centre and Delhi Police on October 5 to ensure that every woman in Delhi feels safe.
A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran heard the suo motu case.
The court said the aim is to prevent crime, and not only to act after it.
It directed dedicated police teams in each district.
It also ordered an audit of lighting and CCTV at public places.
A bench of Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice K. Vinod Chandran heard a suo motu case on women’s safety in Delhi on Monday, October 5, 2026.
The court took up the matter after recent incidents of sexual assault in Delhi-NCR, including at public parks and on transport routes.
The bench said that what matters is to prevent crime, and not only to act after it has been committed.
It said every woman in the capital must feel safe, whether she is walking at 10 pm or travelling by metro or road, according to news24online.
The court wants offenders to feel fear, and it said men should fear committing sexual offences.
The court directed each Delhi district to set up a dedicated police team led by an officer of Deputy Superintendent of Police rank.
Police are to map vulnerable locations, including parks, transport hubs and isolated areas.
Evening and early-morning patrols are to be strengthened.
Authorities must audit lighting and CCTV at public parks, metro stations, bus stops and other vulnerable places, and repair or strengthen them where needed.
The court also pointed to the use of the National Database on Sexual Offenders and emergency response systems.
LatestLY reported that the court emphasised 24-hour monitoring cells to prevent sexual offences.
The bench said that inadequate lighting, poor surveillance and lax patrolling create conditions in which crimes against women can occur.
Connaught Place, New Delhi at night (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
