NEW DELHI: Delhi Police took strict action against over 1,100 habitual offenders in 2024, removing them from the city under provisions of the Delhi Police Act.
The move aims to prevent crimes and ensure public safety by displacing individuals whose activities pose a threat to peace and harmony.
According to a senior police officer, 1,130 individuals were subjected to externment proceedings in 2024 under Sections 47 and 48 of the Delhi Police Act, which allow for the removal of persons likely to commit offences.
“A total of 1,130 people were externed from different districts of Delhi. They were found fit for externment proceedings under Section 47 and 48 of the Delhi Police Act (removal of persons about to commit offences),” the officer said. The process involves issuing notices to individuals, requiring them to justify why they should not be externed. If their explanation is deemed unsatisfactory, the externment is carried out, the officer explained.
Data from previous years shows a fluctuating trend in the number of people externed: 268 in 2015, 215 in 2016, 133 in 2017, 79 in 2018, 302 in 2019, 176 in 2020, 311 in 2021, 716 in 2022, and 619 in 2023.
Another senior officer elaborated on the legal framework, stating, “Section 47 (removal of persons about to commit offences) of the Delhi Police Act allows the Commissioner of Police to extern individuals whose actions or movements pose a threat to public safety or property, or who are believed to be involved in offences involving force, violence or intimidation.”
Externment, he added, disrupts criminal activities by relocating offenders to unfamiliar territories. “Once externed, it becomes challenging for a criminal to build new criminal links and restart activities in an unfamiliar new state,” the officer said.