Jolted by the brutal gangrape of a 23-year-old woman, Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde has decided to conduct monthly review meetings with the Delhi police brass on the safety of women and prevailing law-and-order situation in the city.
While Mr Shinde’s predecessor in the MHA, finance minister P. Chidambaram, used to conduct regular review meetings with the Delhi police, the new home minister had not yet begun such regular monthly review meetings. Mr Shinde will now personally examine whether the stringent measures being announced after the rape incident are actually being implemented on the ground, government sources said.
Further, the process of reviewing existing rape laws and the proposal to impose death penalty for brutal rape offences will be kickstarted soon by the high-level task force, under the chairmanship of the Union home secretary R.K. Singh. The task force will consist of atleast five members — Delhi police commissioner, chief secretary in the Delhi government, chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women and two prominent NGO members. The home minister also may appoint an eminent person as a member. However, a final call is yet to be taken.
Meanwhile, UP chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has said that the state government would bear the entire expenses of the treatment of the gangrape victim and her friend.
The home ministry on Wednesday also wrote to the registrar, Delhi high court, and the chief secretary in the Delhi government asking for handing over the gangrape case to a special fast-track court. Mr Shinde also met Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar on Wednesday where he reviewed the action taken by the Delhi police in the gangrape case.