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Delhi gang-rape: Police to seek lifer for accused

December 21, 2012 20:20 IST

Faced with public outrage over the gang-rape in Delhi, the government on Friday promised to file the chargesheet in the case "quickly" and seek maximum punishment -- life imprisonment -- for the accused.

Union Home Secretary R K Singh said police will seek day-to-day hearing of the case for expeditious trial so that the accused could be convicted soon.

Complimenting the Delhi Police for cracking the "blind case" within a very short span of time, Singh said at a press conference that the police have been able to arrest right persons -- five of them were arrested -- while one was still on the run.

"With the evidence gathered so far -- circumstantial, forensic and others -- we are confident that we will be able to convict the accused," said Singh, who was flanked by the Delhi police top brass, including Commissioner of Police Neeraj Kumar.

Singh said henceforth no 'goondagardi' (rowdiness), 'dadagiri' (bullying) or misbehaviour with women will be tolerated and police action will be visible\ on the ground.

The home secretary said no public transport -- buses, taxis, autos -- will be allowed to ply in the national capital without police verification of drivers, cleaners or assistants and vehicles violating the rules would be impounded.

He said drunk driving, drinking and loitering, driving with tinted glass and other unlawful activities will be dealt firmly and all public transport will have to install GPS device for their close monitoring.

Singh said plainclothes policemen will be deployed in buses and those vehicles coming from neighbouring states will be thoroughly checked and dark films from the windowpanes will be removed and those persons having licences from other states but driving vehicles in the city, will have to undergo fresh test.

Kumar said there will be a crack down on chartered buses -- one of which was used for the crime. So far, 1,600 such vehicles have been impounded for violating various rules.

"The regime we would like to put in place will be very strict," he said.

Asked about the growing demand that the accused should be given death penalty, Singh said police was working as per law and according to the law, life imprisonment is the maximum punishment for rape.

On the possibility of including death penalty in the law for rape convict, he said, "We will have to look into the demand...but there are many jurists, various human rights groups which are demanding abolition of capital punishment in India, though I personally believe that there should be death penalty for such crime".

Asked whether the commissioner of police would resign from his post taking moral responsibility of the case, Singh intervened said police has done "outstanding" job in cracking the case and trying to restore confidence among people through various security measures.

He said the Delhi police was not defensive in its response to the case and prima facie there was no fault in their part in response and investigation into the case.

The home secretary said advisory will be sent to all states sensitising them about crime against women and taking prevent measures.

Asked as to what will be the change in Delhi's policing after Sunday's gang-rape, the Home Secretary said, "There will be no tolerance to misbehaviour to women and crime against women.

"The Delhi people will move freely, we will ensure that all action is taken by the Delhi police. People of Delhi will feel it," he said.

On the criticism that authorities were deploying more policemen on VIP guarding duties, Singh said there were 7,200 policemen who were guarding 2,700 'X', 'Y', 'Z' category protectees.