DCW contemplates stern action against Bassi for not sharing data

The Delhi Commission for Women is contemplating a stern action against Police Commissioner B S Bassi as the Delhi Police denied giving it information on crimes against women.

The commission had asked the police to submit a reply on low convictions in crimes against women, status of cases and reasons for not filing of charge sheets. It had given the police time till Monday to give the information sought and had summoned Bassi to explain the reasons behind the delay in furnishing the data.

However, Delhi police, in its reply, refused to give the information sought by the DCW saying that it would cause a “law and order” problem. The DCP of the Legal Cell appeared before the Commission on Monday and submitted the reply.

According to a statement by Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), the Delhi Police in its response also termed the body’s exercise as “mutually recriminating endeavour and a fault finding adventure”.

“The communication between the two government bodies should be dignified. Delhi Police is committed towards safety of women. Delhi Police is taking every necessary step to ensure safety of women. Nobody should doubt this. Every government body should operate within their limits,” Bassi told reporters on Monday.

“Through the letter, it appears that exercising the powers of the Delhi Commission for Women for requisitioning information on crimes against women, especially on pertinent police issues like the non-filing of charge sheets, has been sadly misinterpreted by the Delhi Police as a ‘battle of supremacy’,” DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal Jaihind said in a statement.

An official of the DCW said that the body is contemplating “stern action” against the police chief. According to powers of the civil court vested with the commission, it can either issue arrest warrants or attach property of the police chief. 

“The DCW has complete right and powers to seek data on crime against women from Delhi police. Delhi Police should realise that neither the women of Delhi nor DCW is powerless. The commission will proceed as per the powers of a civil court vested in it by the Delhi Commission for Women Act, 1994,” she said.

She added that Delhi Police’s argument that providing data to DCW will create a law and order problem in Delhi is both “shocking and absurd”.

“At a time when Delhi is labelled as the rape Capital of the world, denying crucial information on crimes against women to the DCW is extremely unbecoming of the Delhi Police. DCW needs this information to fulfil its statutory mandate of investigating and examining all matters relating to the safeguards provided for women under the laws and constitution and providing recommendations to the Central and the state Government on women safety,” the statement said.