Getting away with murder

Massacre of a family of 7 and that of an elderly couple in Delhi have brought with them an eerily familiar sense of insecurity in Capital.

The brutal massacre of a family of seven and, separately, that of an elderly couple in Delhi have brought with them an eerily familiar sense of insecurity about life in the national capital. For Delhiites, murders, especially of elderly people living in the city on their own, have become all too common occurrences. Delhi Police Commissioner K.K. Paul’s defensive statement that Delhi is a safe city and that these are isolated incidents does not obscure the harsh reality, which is that the frequency of violent crimes like murder and assault against women have been continually on the rise over the years. Mr Paul would serve the city better if he were to admit to the limitations of Delhi Police in providing security and make efforts to correct them. For, the blame for the increasing crime rate in the city must lie squarely with the police and their tardy investigations, and with the courts, for failing to do justice to the victims.

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Without visible deterrent action, any hopes of making Delhi a safer city is mere wishful thinking. The 2004 statistics compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau are revealing — such murders take place with impunity. The total number of cases for trial, and the percentage of cases in which conviction takes place, have been decreasing each year. Also, the NCRB report reveals that at the end of 2004, as many as 83.3 per cent IPC cases were pending in various criminal courts in the country. Insufficient investigations and inefficient prosecution are usually cited as reasons for the failure to procure convictions, that is, when cases actually make it to the trial stage. The end result is the impression and belief among those who commit the crimes that they can actually get away with it, without any fear of retribution.

This is a terrible situation and must change. First, the police must improve their investigative methods. Even in this day and age, the police in Delhi do not pay sufficient attention to forensics. Second, there is need to provide better leadership and a sense of elan to the departments dealing with such crimes. Third, there is need for a specialised prosecution department that will not be hamstrung by officers who are transferred in and out of other departments. Fourth, the courts must do all they can to reduce the time taken for hearings. But most important, perhaps, is for the police, prosecution and the judiciary to realise that they owe it to the victims of the heinous crimes to ensure that the criminals responsible get their just deserts.