‘Systematic failure’: Supreme Court takes suo motu cognisance of Delhi-NCR gang-rape of minor

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of the alleged gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl on a moving bus in Delhi-NCR, saying recent rape cases in the region point to a “systematic failure” by law enforcement and public administrative authorities to ensure basic public safety.

A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said the incident brought back “painful parallels” with the 2012 Nirbhaya case.

The court said public spaces, including buses and parks, must not become high-risk areas because of inadequate lighting, poor surveillance or a lack of essential administrative facilities.

A 16-year-old girl, who boarded a sleeper bus in Greater Noida, was allegedly gang-raped by its conductor and driver and abandoned near Kashmere Gate, more than 40 km away in Old Delhi, on August 4. The two accused have been arrested.