Drunk cops found on patrol duty in Delhi
After visiting the route the victim took on the fateful night of December 16, 2012, Mail Today found that the situation remains the same. Shockingly, there had been no improvement even after the sensational gang rape of a woman who was kidnapped by criminals in Dhaula Kuan in 2010.
The recent rape of a 27-yearold woman executive has once again exposed the perils of women commuting at night, especially those returning home after work, in the national Capital. All the tall talk of the Delhi Police's top brass and the city administration are mere noises in an empty vessel despite almost two years since the brutal gang rape of a paramedical student under the jurisdiction of South Delhi's Vasant Vihar police station.
After visiting the route the victim took on the fateful night of December 16, 2012, Mail Today found that the situation remains the same. Shockingly, there had been no improvement even after the sensational gang rape of a woman who was kidnapped by criminals in Dhaula Kuan in 2010.
After every incident, the Delhi Police holds meetings with several stakeholders to chalk out mechanisms for the modes of transport availed by women at night but with no concrete solution.
The eight-kilometre stretch from Munirka to Mahipalpur has two police posts, but both were locked by 11 pm on Wednesday. Barring one PCR van stationed at Mahipalpur, no other police van was found on the whole stretch.
Mail Today began its journey from Munirka bus stand-from where the 2012 victim had taken a private bus at 10.30 pm on Wednesday and found one police constable deployed there. The policeman said he was asked to station himself at the bus stand around 10 days ago, and his duty hours are from 7 pm to 12 am. He was seen questioning every driver who stopped his car near the bus stand but did not allow any cab driver to ferry passengers.
Next, Mail Today found a vulnerable spot on Arjun Path Road where street lights were on the blink and lacking a single policeman. Dark bushes also dotted a secluded area. It was noticed that several cab drivers and others were stopping their vehicles in the dark.
Nearly 200 metres away, two police constables, on their motorbike, were found before the NH-8 flyover, but they were issuing chalaans to truck drivers.
At 11.25 pm, Mail Today reached near a U-turn from the Mahipalpur roundabout where private cab drivers were offering By Mahender Singh Manral in New Delhi rides for only `20-30.
Moreover, no police or traffic police officer was around. However, a few days ago, a posse of policemen had been deployed at the same place for the marriage function of a senior Delhi Police officer nearby.
The most alarming point Mail Today found was a drunken police officer, along with another officer, on patrol duty at the same spot where the victim was dumped two years ago. They claimed it was a VIP route and asked the team to leave. An argument ensued but the policemen left following orders from seniors (see accompanying box).
A Delhi Police survey across 161 police stations has found dysfunctional or no street lights in 1,582 areas. Of the total 11 districts, maximum dark spots-277-are in the South-West district and the least-290-in the New Delhi district. The remaining break-up is: Central (65), North (159), South (40), West (160) East (251), North-East (122), South-East (202), Outer (226) and North-West (51).