In an interview with Times Now, Delhi CM Rekha Gupta has called for public hanging of those convicted of heinous crimes against women amid the Kalkaji and Kashmere Gate bus gangrape cases.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta did not hold back when she spoke to Times Now about the recent incidents of crimes against women in the national capital. Speaking to Times Network Group Editor-in-Chief Navika Kumar, Gupta said those convicted of heinous crimes against women must be publicly hanged.
“Aise apraadh karne wale logon ko toh… sareaam chowk pe use phansi di jaye,” Gupta said, without mincing her words.
Addressing the issue, she further said that laws must be made even stricter to ensure such offenders are punished without delay.
“I can only say this much that the lawmakers should not divide the law in the category of what can be done and how much can be done. We should make such provisions for such criminals that they should be hanged at the public square,” Gupta said.
She admitted that crimes such as the recent Kalkaji park gangrape and the Kashmere Gate bus gangrape had indeed exposed gaps that needed to be addressed through stronger policing, administration and law.
Her remarks come amid renewed concerns over women’s safety in the national capital following a series of sexual assault cases.
In the latest incident, a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by three men at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir on September 21. Police said the accused allegedly posed as policemen, separated the girl from her male friend and took her to a secluded part of the park. All three accused have since been arrested, with one apprehended after an exchange of fire with police.
The incident also triggered safety concerns among students of nearby Lady Shri Ram College for Women. The college shifted classes online as a precaution, while students raised concerns over dark stretches, streetlights and police patrolling around the campus.
Gupta said the government had directed agencies responsible for parks to eliminate dark spots. She said one lakh sensor-linked streetlights have been installed since her government came to power, with faults intended to trigger alerts at control rooms.
The Chief Minister also acknowledged lapses in the Kashmere Gate bus gangrape case. A 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped inside a sleeper bus after boarding it at Greater Noida’s Pari Chowk on August 4. The bus travelled nearly 47 km to Kashmere Gate without being stopped at a police checkpoint, according to police sources cited by The Indian Express.
The bus was also found to have 11 traffic challans, while investigators flagged a defunct CCTV system and heavy curtains that restricted visibility inside the vehicle. The driver and conductor had also allegedly been hired without police verification.
Gupta admitted the bus incident represented a failure in the sequence of checks and stressed that responsibility must be fixed. She also said police verification of drivers and conductors must be ensured across private, government and school buses.
