Law and order 'deteriorating'

The 20-year-old student was allegedly harassed by a young man in Delhi's Tilak Nagar area. After reporting the matter to police, the girl uploaded the photograph of the accused on Facebook and the post soon went viral. The accused was arrested soon after. Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal reacted to the incident by saying it was shameful that people stood watching and did not come to the girl's help.

Since taking over last month, 30-year-old Maliwal - the former advisor to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on public grievances - has hit the ground running, hoping to make the Indian capital - where most sexual crimes are committed in the country - a safe place for women. In a DW interview, she talks of her plans, priorities and the challenges ahead.

DW: How would you assess the level of insecurity for women in India's capital?

The law and order situation in Delhi is deteriorating at an alarming rate. It has gone up on all fronts, ranging from domestic violence, rape and molestations to stalking.

Police records show there are over five cases of rape and 12 cases of molestation everyday in the capital so just imagine the number of cases that go unreported. Strangely, the culprits do not feel threatened by warnings as crimes against women have been constantly rising over the past few years.

Our priority is women's safety. We have zero tolerance for rapes, acid attacks and sexual harassment and will work with the victims to ensure that Delhi becomes a rape-free capital.

But what are you doing to make sure the police tackle these issues more effectively?

There are two issues here. I have asked Police Commissioner Bhim Singh Bassi to convert all complaints of sexual crimes against women and register as cases. I have also asked him to furnish information about increasing complaints of crimes against women in all the 185 police stations across the city.

I have also sought information on the total strength of the Delhi police force and the number of female police personnel in police stations in which the highest number of complaints of crime against women were reported.

Moreover, I have also raised the issue of the brutal murder of a teenager in central Delhi area last month - an incident that has shamed Delhi. This is not just about the murder of an individual who was stabbed multiple times. This is also about an incident that reflects on the failure of our entire system and society.

The girl Meenkashi was killed after she objected to a man who allegedly abused her. Just imagine how many such girls are traveling in fear in the city. We need to work hard and I also want a strong working relationship with the police.

We witnessed a case earlier this week when a college student posted a picture of a man on social media who allegedly abused and harassed her. The police acted fast and arrested him within hours. What is your view on this?

I applaud the student's courage and her showing presence of mind. She was willing to stand up and fight against harassment. This incident has sent a strong message through the strongest medium possible that men cannot get away easily with cat calls and stalking women. The kind of publicity this case got was excellent. It goes to show that if they want to, the police can act fast.

It has been a month since you took over. What have you accomplished thus far?

We have focused on several issues, including acid attack victims and women working in brothels. For instance, we have decided that acid attack victims will be provided free treatment in private hospitals by the Delhi government.

We have also taken stock of the condition of sex workers in GB Road, the largest red light area in the national capital. There have been many cases of women trafficked and forced into the trade, so rehabilitation initiatives need to be worked out.

We will soon set up a committee to review the conditions of sex workers and then propose the panel's recommendations to the Delhi government. It remains, however, a complicated issue.

The interview was conducted by Murali Krishnan.