Glaring lacuna in field-level policing, says LG Saxena

New Delhi: Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena on Tuesday said the recent Kanjhawla hit-and-drag incident and the Shraddha Walkar murder case exhibit a "glaring lacuna" in policing at the field level and urged the DCPs to rectify it. Addressing the DCPs' conference at the Delhi Police headquarters here, the L-G also flagged a host of issues, including corruption, high-handedness of police and investigation loopholes.

He urged the force to "ensure proactive pre-emptive measures to ensure safety and security at all levels" in view of the forthcoming G-20 Summit. The Delhi Police had received a lot of flak over the Kanjhawla incident in which 20-year-old Anjali Singh was killed in the early hours on January 1 after her scooter was hit by a car which dragged her for 12 kilometres. So far, seven people have been arrested in the case.

Eleven police personnel, who were on PCR and picket duty on the route were also suspended. He also cited the National Crime Records Bureau data and said it shows that Delhi stands at third place in terms of cases of violent crime per lakh population. It is second across the country in terms of crime against women, "despite the fact that we have police strength of about 81,000 available in Delhi", he noted.

"The recent incident of a girl being murdered and chopped into multiple pieces and thrown across Delhi that came to light months after commission of the crime. That a girl being hit and then dragged by a car, on New Year's eve when police patrolling and check points are supposed to be strengthened multifold.