New Delhi, September 28, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Supreme Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of a series of recent rape and sexual assault cases in Delhi-NCR, including the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl near Kalkaji Mandir and the alleged sexual assault of a minor inside a moving sleeper bus.
A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran directed the Supreme Court Registry to register a suo motu public interest litigation on the issue. The Bench expressed deep concern over the recurring incidents and observed that the reports point to serious concerns about the ability of law-enforcement and public authorities to ensure basic public safety.
The court stressed that the right to live with dignity and without fear of violence is part of the fundamental right to life and personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.
It also said public spaces such as parks, roads, buses, metro stations, subways and footbridges cannot become high-risk zones because of inadequate lighting, surveillance, patrolling or other preventable administrative shortcomings. The court emphasised the need for a measurable response and accountability from authorities responsible for crime prevention and public safety.
The intervention comes after a series of reported sexual offences in the National Capital Region.
In the Kalkaji case, a 17-year-old girl allegedly faced sexual assault by three men posing as policemen at a park near Kalkaji Mandir. According to the police account cited in the proceedings, the accused allegedly threatened the girl and her male friend before taking her to an isolated part of the park. One accused, identified as Asif, allegedly displayed a firearm. He was later apprehended after an encounter and sustained a gunshot injury, while efforts to trace the other two accused continued.
The court’s proceedings also cover the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl inside a moving sleeper bus in the Greater Noida-Delhi region. Police had arrested the driver and conductor, who were accused of sexually assaulting the girl before abandoning her near Kashmere Gate. The bus was seized for forensic examination and investigators collected CCTV footage along the route.
The National Human Rights Commission had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of the bus incident and sought reports from the Delhi and Gautam Buddha Nagar police commissioners and the Mainpuri Superintendent of Police regarding the investigation and assistance or compensation provided to the survivor.
The Supreme Court’s proceedings will now examine the broader public-safety concerns arising from the recurring incidents in Delhi-NCR.
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