Supreme Court takes up Delhi-NCR assault reports

The Supreme Court has taken up reports of sexual assaults in Delhi-NCR on its own initiative, warning that repeated incidents raise serious concerns about public safety and the protection of women and children. The court drew parallels with the 2012 Nirbhaya case and said public spaces must not become high-risk areas because of inadequate lighting, surveillance or other administrative shortcomings. The court’s action included consideration of an alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old on a moving sleeper bus. The teenager was allegedly assaulted by the bus driver and conductor on August 4 and left near Kashmere Gate, according to the reports. Both accused were reported arrested. The allegation has not been established by a court, and the supplied accounts do not provide investigative findings or a later case status. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran said the reported incidents underscored concerns about the ability of law enforcement and public authorities to ensure basic safety.