Taking serious note of the gangrape of a student in Delhi on Sunday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday asked Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde to ensure that culprits are brought to book.
Shinde, after meeting senior Delhi Police officials including commissioner Neeraj Kumar, announced a slew of measures to crack down on the rising crime graph in the Capital.
“There shall be an immediate crackdown on all buses and commercial vehicles having tinted glasses and curtains and all such vehicles be impounded immediately,” Shinde told Parliament. “It has also been decided that the PCR fleet of Delhi Police will be augmented by providing more GPS-enabled vehicles so that their movement can be tracked at the Central Control Room,” he said. Sources said the Union Home Ministry had cleared a proposal to procure 350 more PCR vans. “Ministry has also asked the Delhi Police officials to ensure that around 1,300 poorly-lit stretches which have been identified in the city gets more policemen to guard the stretch during the night,” said an official.
Shinde’s statement failed to soothe the agitating nerves of Opposition. BJP MP Venkaiah Naidu said there were three PCR vans on the route that the bus took, but the vehicle wasn’t even once stopped. The minister said since the bus window was tinted, curtains were drawn, the police could not have had an inkling that a gruesome crime was taking place inside.
“The Delhi Police shall undertake verification of all drivers and staff of all public vehicles. All such buses and autos which are being plied by unverified staff and drivers shall be impounded,” he said. He also said that photos and details of the drivers shall be compulsorily displayed in all public vehicles along with a help line for lodging complaints.