Acid attacks: HC says city needs more cops

New Delhi, December 24

Citing recent "spate of acid attacks" in the city, the Delhi High Court today said there was an urgent need for more police personnel in view of the law and order situation, security threat and crime against women here.
The court also asked as to what the government and the police were doing to handle the menace of acid attacks.
"What are you doing about acid throwing? The Supreme Court has given strict instructions. It is still going on and on...How is acid freely available or being sold? Police must crack down on this," a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and I S Mehta said.
Agreeing with the bench that acid attacks are a menace, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain suggested to the bench that issue of acid attacks be taken up as a separate suo motu matter.
The ASG also assured the court that the 15 proposals forwarded by Delhi Police for creation of over 14,000 posts "shall be looked into at the earliest and will receive priority attention".
Delhi Police has written to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) requesting for 4749 posts for separating the investigation work from the law and order duties.
It has also requested MHA for creation of several separate cadres, amounting to 11,962 posts, the bench was told.
The ASG said the proposals for more posts in Delhi Police have been sent to the Internal Finance Department of MHA for concurrence and, thereafter will be forwarded to the Ministry of Finance.
In view of the submission, the court sought status reports from the Centre as well as Delhi Police by January 31.
On the issue of setting up more forensic science laboratories (FSLs), the bench said it is "getting the impression that the Delhi government is not taking up the matter as seriously as it should" and directed it to expedite the same to "obviate coercive measures".--PTI