Following his meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal called to discuss women’s safety in the capital, Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi today defended himself and his force saying any crime that happens in the city is a challenge for the police.
Ahead of the meeting, Kejriwal had asked Bassi to carry along a list of pending cases of crimes against women. However, there was no report of whether such a list was prepared or carried to the meeting by the top cop.
“My talks with Kejriwal happened within an extremely positive environment. However, there are some things which were discussed that I don’t want to bring up. Any crime that happens in Delhi is a challenge for the police. A woman was murdered. No question arises of us not being sensitive to this matter,” Bassi told reporters in the capital.
A 19-year-old girl was knifed to death on Thursday night in a crowded New Delhi market (in Anand Parbat) because she had complained against her stalker following which the ruling Delhi Aam Aadmi Party had pulled up top cops in the city through a series of tweets from senior leaders. Kejriwal even went on to say that since Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly controls Delhi police, he should spare a few hours every week to assess the capital’s law and order situation.
“The Centre controls Delhi Police in a neutral way. Throughout my service, I have never felt pressure of any kind. We are allowed to do what we want to do. However, control over Delhi police is a political matter. I cannot decide on this,” Bassi said after being grilled by reporters on whether Delhi police’s control should be transferred to the state.
“We have acted without any excitement in this matter (the murder of a 19-year-old) and by keeping in mind the rule of law,” added Bassi.
Following the murder, Delhi minister Satyendra Jain had written a letter to Bassi, demanding a detailed report as to why no action had been taken before against the stalker who allegedly stabbed the girl with the help of his mother and brother.
The minister even indicated in the letter that Delhi police had not improved the slightest post the deadly Nirbhaya rape and death incident that shocked the capital city in 2012.
On Saturday evening, Kejriwal had visited the family of the deceased girl, who was stabbed 35 times to death before announcing the help of Rs 5 lakh to the victim’s family.
