Set up 24-hour monitoring cells to prevent sexual offences, Supreme Court tells Delhi Police

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Supreme Court of India. File | Photo Credit: SUBRAMANIUM S

Underlining the need to take preventive measures against sexual offences, the Supreme Court on Monday (October 5, 2026) asked the Delhi Police to set up 24-hour monitoring cells for continuous surveillance of vulnerable areas. The court also asked the police to strengthen patrolling, particularly around educational institutions and public spaces.

A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran observed that the mere installation of CCTV cameras in public spaces would serve little purpose without continuous monitoring to detect suspicious activity and enable a swift police response.

“When we are talking about surveillance through CCTV cameras, how far will they help curb crimes if there is no continuous monitoring at different war rooms? The cameras will help you in catching hold of the culprit, but how will you prevent such crimes? There has to be a cell — a 24-hour cell — which keeps monitoring what is happening,” the Bench observed.

The court was hearing a suo motu case concerning a spate of sexual assault incidents involving minors and women in the Delhi-National Capital Region. It had earlier indicated that it intended to fix accountability on authorities entrusted with preventing crime and protecting vulnerable persons.

The Bench also stressed the need to intensify patrolling around educational institutions and take action against illegal eateries across the Capital that were frequented by miscreants.

“Focus on educational institutions, colleges, where there are goons [who] keep harassing young girl students. We are also told that there are hundreds of illegal eateries across NCT (National Capital Territory) of Delhi where all anti-social elements get together. Even liquor is provided over there. Start identifying all those vulnerable pockets,” the Bench said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Delhi Police, acknowledged that there appeared to be deficiencies in police patrolling.

“Prima facie, it appears that there is some deficiency in patrolling duty,” he said.

The Bench also pointed to reports that, even prior to the gangrape of a 17-year-old at New Delhi’s Astha Kunj Park, near Lady Shri Ram College, residents of the area had repeatedly flagged safety concerns in the locality to the police, but their concerns remained unaddressed.

“It has been reported that before this unfortunate incident occurred, residents of that area had brought it to your notice that there are some anti-social elements who are creating nuisance... Nobody paid any heed to it. Therefore, what is important is one-to-one interaction with society. You are the protector,” the Bench said, addressing senior police officers present in court.

Justice Pardiwala also stressed the need to instil a fear of the law among potential offenders as a deterrent against such crimes. Referring to the upcoming festival holidays, he asked the Delhi Police to heighten vigilance to ensure that such incidents did not recur.

“You need to create a fright, a fear in the mind of a man who is prone to commit such offences... Unless and until you create that fear, that fright in the minds of those anti-social elements, you will not be able to prevent the commission of such crimes,” he said.

Senior advocate Liz Mathew, assisting the court as amicus curiae, submitted that despite the existence of the Delhi Police’s ‘Shishtachar’ force, which is aimed at preventing sexual harassment of women in public spaces, little information was publicly available on its functioning or the action taken by it.

The Bench stressed that issuing directives alone would not suffice unless they translated into action on the ground.

“Officers, you will find many such directives only on paper, but what is most essential is to work at the grassroots level. Merely putting all this on paper will not help. You need to get into action. If you have to be a little more strict, harsh, do not hesitate,” the Bench said.

Mr. Mehta assured the court that several steps had been taken to increase vigilance.

Accordingly, the Bench said it would pass an order recording the measures to be undertaken and posted the matter for further hearing on November 16.

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