Cartoonist stabbed 28 times; journalist murdered in cold blood at home; BMW mows down six people. These are just some of the front page news headlines that have shaken up the city from its determined slumber. But more often than not, we all just go back to sleep again. ``The character of the city has changed completely. With community feeling also declining steadily, crimes will obviously increase rapidly,'' opines H. D. Shourie, activist who heads Common Cause.Perhaps, this was what lead to a drunk Sanjeev Nanda crushing six people - including three policemen - beneath his BMW on Lodhi Road this January. Or to the gruesome murder of Suzuki Takuma, a Japanese tourist whose body parts were discovered by the R. K. Puram police in December last year in two gunny bags thrown near a drain on Rao Tula Ram Marg. Or to the case of illustrator Irfan Hussain, who was allegedly murdered by a gang of car-jackers in March this year. Though the Delhi Police claims to have solved the case, the fact remains that according to the Delhi Police Records 1999, the Capital accounts for 49 per cent of the murders in the country.These are just some of the incidents that have managed to find a place in the newspapers, rudely reminding Delhiites that their security is weak and their position vulnerable. And these ``sensational murders'' continue to repeat themselves, the distressing saga making us wonder whether the Delhi Police has taken precautions to prevent such acts from taking place in the near future?``Considering that Irfan Hussain was a target of car-jackers, we've resorted to stricter police patrolling on roads and highways. PCR vans at various points are on a 24-hour alert to prevent any unpleasant incidents from taking place,'' insists Ajai Raj Sharma, Delhi Police Commissioner. ``Open stretches, border areas and highways are sensitive points from where unhealthy elements can easily enter the city, so it's imperative to have round-the-clock PCR service for the citizens to feel safe and secure,'' he adds. However, such words of assurance are not easily digested by citizens. Says Sankar Sen, member, Senior Citizens Welfare Association, Vasant Kunj, ``The security of nearly 13 lakh senior citizens in the city is at stake. Our colony is on a lone stretch and I fail to see the police anywhere in the vicinity.'' But, Sharma stands by his word, `` We've identified 23 areas, such as Nangloi, Okhla, Sultanpuri and Samaipur Badli, from where criminals can have easier access into the city. Along with PCR vans there are also six motorbikes made a vailable, so the police are on continuous rounds especially between 4 p.m. and 12 a.m.''The agony and the fear of the citizens doesn't end here. Despite the high incidence of murder in the city, motives behind nearly 27 per cent remain unknown. Like in the case of Shivani Bhatnagar, senior correspondent, The Indian Express, who was found murdered in her Nav Kunj apartments, Patparganj in January this year.If that were not enough, robbery cases in the city also constitute a sizable 45 per cent of cases filed all over India. ``Law and order in the city has completely collapsed and the complete judicial system needs to be reformed massively,'' laments Ved Marwah, Research Professor, Centre for Policy Research. As far as possible, cases shouldn't be adjourned, he feels, instead immediate and effective implementation should be practised. Too many appeals should also be avoided. ``Over two crore criminal cases alone are pending in courts all over India. The criminal proceedings are extremely cumbersome and take too long while the citizens wait for justice in vain,'' he points out.As for road accidents, the Delhi Traffic police claims to have taken precautionary measures after the famous BMW hit-and-run case. ``Our major concern is to take stringent measures in preventing cases of overspeeding and drunken driving,'' says Kanwaljeet Deol, Additional Commissioner (Traffic), adding, ``We advocate checks, especially late at night, when people are returning from parties or get-togethers. We also keep a check on over-speeding to prevent accidents from taking place with the help of speed radars.'' With 47 per cent of the hit-and-run and overspeeding cases taking place in Delhi, it's a pity that till today, the traffic police lacks equipment to check the alcohol content in the blood of those accused of drunken driving. ``At present we don't have any equipment to check the alcohol percentage, but if someone is found indulging in drinking and driving, then our first step is to take the accused to the nearest hospital and detect the alcohol intake,'' admits Deol.The citizens however, continue to be distressed with the general state of affairs. `` The criminal is far more organised and resourceful especially in a metro city. Moreover, criminal cases seem to get buried under a debris of money and power and it's the common man who is the worst sufferer in such circumstances. system. So, one's left to wonder whether things really improve in the course of the day,'' says Marwah compelling us to wonder whether there are any lessons learnt from such ``sensational murders''. Or do we have to wait till another headline screams out the same story?
