“Like a pizza boy delivering the stuff faster than the guaranteed half-an-hour”, the Delhi police should reach the crime scene before the current response time of 10 minutes to earn the “faith” of people, the Delhi High Court today said.

A bench of justices B.D. Ahmed and R.K. Gauba said the “police will have to earn the faith of the public that they are always there for them in need”.

“We are concerned over the response time of the police team in reaching the crime spot. You will have to ensure that you reach the crime scene before 10 minutes” the court said adding that “they should reach quickly in order to give guarantee to citizens of Delhi that they are safe here.”

The court was hearing a PIL initiated by it after the December 16, 2012 gang-rape case, in which it has been giving directions from time to time with regard to improving crime investigation and protection of women in the Capital.

Amicus curiae in the matter Meera Bhatia also said that it is necessary for the police to reduce their time to reach the crime spot or reach on a call to avert the crime.

Response time

The bench gave the direction on the submissions made by Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain who, while reading the affidavit file by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), said that to “ensure safety and security of women in the national capital, response time of the Delhi police to distress calls reportedly reduced to 10 minutes”.

It asked the police to file an affidavit with regard to the concern raised by it. Also, concerned over the manner in which the police team handles a case with most criminals going scot free in absence of any clinching evidence, the court said, the police team should comprise “experts, including a forensic pathologist, who determine the cause of death by examining a corpse”.

It said the Centre, AIIMS, Delhi government and municipal bodies here should file an affidavit before July 27 indicating if there is any forensic pathologist working in their hospitals.

The Ministry of Finance, during the hearing, also told the court that they have agreed to the creation of 4,227 posts for the proposal of separation of crime investigation and law and order functions.

(With PTI inputs)

The court said they should reach quickly to give guarantee to citizens of Delhi that they are safe here