Supreme Court compares Delhi-NCR rape cases to Nirbhaya Case of 2012, takes suo motu cognisance

Supreme Court took suo motu note of recent Delhi-NCR rape cases, including minor's gangrape on bus and said the incidents show painful parallels to the 2012 Nirbhaya case and highlight the failure of law enforcement.

Updated : Sep 28, 2026, 11:47 AM IST

The Supreme Court has suo motu cognisance of recent rape cases in Delhi and NCR, notably a gangrape of a minor on a sleeper bus, drawing painful parallels to the 2012 Nirbhaya case. Justice JB Pardiwala's bench emphasised the failures of law enforcement and stated that public spaces, including parks and buses, must not be unsafe due to inadequate lighting, lack of CCTV and poor security.

The bench observed that merely expressing solidarity is not enough and accountability must be fixed. Justice Pardiwala said, "These incidents bear painful similarities to the 2012 Nirbhaya case." The court said that although there are laws and policies, crimes against women are still occurring in public places. It said that authorities must make sure that there is proper supervision, police patrols, and safe public transport, especially at night. The court has asked authorities to submit a report on security measures and actions taken to prevent such crimes.

After the Nirbhaya case, the Justice Verma Committee was formed, leading to the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013, which expanded the definition of rape and increased penalties. The Nirbhaya Fund was established for women's safety projects. Six were accused; four were hanged.