New Delhi, January 3
Asserting that women's security is of utmost priority, the Delhi Police is taking giant steps towards ensuring that they feel safe in the city.

The police will start filing chargesheets in rape cases within 20 days of the accused being arrested. A chargesheet is a formal document of accusation prepared by law enforcement agencies and submitted in a court of law. The development was shared by the Delhi Police Commissioner, Bhim Sain Bassi, at Delhi Police's annual press conference held here today.

The police issued an order today. The order says that the chargesheet will be filed within 20 days of the accused being arrested. If the chargesheet cannot be filed within 20 days, the matter will be brought to the notice of the Joint Commissioner of Police. And if the chargesheet still cannot be filed, then the issue will be raised to the Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) and Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order). The Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) will bring it to the notice of the Delhi Police Commissioner.

"The purpose behind this procedure is to ensure that the victim gets justice and it also acts as a deterrent for the criminals," said Bassi.

Police officers said that the maximum time for filing a chargesheet in a court of law is 90 days. The investigating officers, presently, take about a month to file a chargesheet in a rape case. Following the December 16 gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old girl, police officers started filing the chargesheet early, but there have been delays due to the wait for the Forensic Science Laboratory report and other scientific evidence.

According to the police statistics, 1,559 rape cases were registered in 2013 and only 680 registered in 2012.

"Ensuring free registration (of cases) has always been my priority. Needless to say, the process of providing justice to a victim of a cognisable crime cannot begin unless an FIR is registered upon a complaint...I guarantee that this year whatever crime needs registration will be registered and criminals will be caught," said Bassi.

The Police Commissioner also said that there was a need to give women capacity to fight back. "So we want to orient them towards self-defence. We will be writing to the government to introduce subjects for girls (in lower classes of schools). So when they become older and more vulnerable--not that they aren't at a lower age--they will be able to defend themselves," explained Bassi.

New Delhi, January 3
Tackling street crimes and handling cases of rape and molestation in the national Capital has been a cause for concern for the Delhi Police for a long time.

Delhi Police claims that 96 per cent of rapes are committed by persons known to the victim. Investigation of rape cases is done by women police officers and emphasis is given on the collection of scientific evidence.

According to the police statistics, in 2013, 1559 rape cases have been reported as compared to 680 cases in 2012. Out of the 1,559 cases, 1,398 were solved. Seventy-two per cent of the rape cases have been solved within a week. About 11 per cent of the cases take more than four weeks to be solved.

Most number of rape cases--1347--took place inside a house or a jhuggi in 2013. Other cases took place at hotels, restaurants and vehicles.

Molestation of women in Delhi has happened frequently, as 3,347 cases have been reported to the police in 2013. Exactly 2,905 cases were solved by the police. Seventy-eight per cent of molestation cases have been solved within a week. Last year, 653 molestation cases were reported.

Giving an eerie feeling to women, the highest number of molestation cases-1,204--has been reported on the streets of Delhi. The next highest number of molestation cases, 1,445, was reported in houses or jhuggis. Thirty cases were reported from schools and colleges.

Delhi Police Commissioner Bhim Sain Bassi at the Delhi Police's annual press conference held here today stated that tackling street crimes such as robbery and snatchings is also an issue that is taken seriously in Delhi. "One solution to these problems is to increase the presence of policemen on the streets of vulnerable areas," said Bassi.

In 2013, 3,319 cases of snatchings were reported to the police as against 1,371 cases reported in 2012. Exactly 1,568 cases were solved in 2013.

About 90 per cent of the culprits were the first-time offenders and 51 per cent of them were illiterates and school dropouts.

Asserting that street crimes will be dealt with harshly, the Police Commissioner said, "Unless a woman on the street feels that she can put a necklace around her neck, my work will be a challenge."

In 2013, 1,109 cases of robbery were reported to the police as compared to 577 cases in 2012. Eight hundred and thirty-eight cases were solved in 2013. Some of the notorious cases of robbery are an ATM cash van that was looted of Rs 36 lakh at M S Park in August last year; in another house, a dacoity was committed at the residence of a 38-year-old woman in Mayur Vihar in November 2013.

New Delhi, January 3
The Aam Aadmi Party's 'freebie-based' and 'subsidy' model of governance has not gone down well both with its political detractors as well as residents of several parts in the Capital, who term it as nothing but an instance of populism reflecting the debutante's inexperience of governance.

The reactions came obviously from the cross-section of middle and higher income groups which do not qualify to avail the benefits of either the water or the power moves to the extent that even people who earlier supported the AAP are now expressing displeasure over its recent decisions.

Left out from the targeted consumers, a businessman Sudarshan Sehgal of Amar Colony is upset, saying why the tax payers' money should be spent on a small section of people.

"To some extent water limit is fine that would encourage its saving, but what about electricity costs. We stay in a joint family and have one meter, now we have to install separate meters and the consumption would obviously be above 400 units," he said.

Keeping its two major pre-poll promises, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government announced that each household will get water free of charge up to 20 kl a month provided they have functional meters and consumption does not exceed the limit but others have to pay for the entire usage at an increased 10 per cent tariff hike. Likewise, a 50 per cent slash in electricity prices was declared for household usage up to 400 units with effect from January 1.

"This would not benefit the middle-class consumers at all. Why should the government take such hasty decisions and not ensure a balanced distribution in the delivery of services," said Sanjay Kumar, a government official residing in Rohini.

However, there are many others who have given the thumbs-up to the Chief Minister and his party, saying that it would be premature to judge them. A resident of Kashmere Gate, Atibir Singh, who runs a textile business, opines that the steps taken by the AAP is in the right direction.

"Pressure is being mounted on them to perform by other political parties as well as the media. They (AAP) should get time to deliver and it is just the start," he said.

MS Choudhary of Laxmi Nagar said that people have to think beyond their self-interests and stop criticising the AAP government. They should rather control misuse of resources.

There are many like him who do not feel the step of recovering outstanding dues to the tune of nearly Rs 4,000 crore from the power discoms in exchange of subsidy in the tariff for people is an instance of rash governance or securing vote-bank politics as perceived by another section.

New Delhi, January 3
The newly elected Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly, Maninder Singh Dhir, had a tough time running the House on the first day today when MLAs of the Congress, BJP, JDU and an Independent urged him to check those officers who take other than MLAs for inspection of government work.

While greeting Dhir on being elected Speaker, Congress MLA from Chandni Chowk Parlad Singh Sawhny said that in his assembly constituency, a Delhi Government officer was doing inspection of some work along with a local leader who was defeated in the assembly elections. The government officer should take the local MLAs not the others while doing the inspection.

He urged the Speaker to issue a ruling against this practice. Sawhny was supported by the MLAs of the Congress, BJP and JDU.

There was much din in the House when the Speaker said that he would discuss this issue with the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The Congress MLA, Jai Kishan, came to the well of the House, demanding the ruling against officers who accompanied people during inspection. However, he was controlled by another Congress MLA, Arvinder Singh Lovely, who is also DPCC president.

Dhir tried to control the agitating MLAs and asked the BJP MLA Jitender Singh Shunty to continue the tradition of greeting the newly elected Speaker, but the din persisted.

The MLAs stopped making a noise finally when the Speaker issued his ruling, "I assure that the rights of all the honourable members of the Assembly House will be protected."

New Delhi, January 3
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today took a dig at the Congress, saying that it will be disastrous for the country if the countrymen are forced to choose between Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister.

Response from senior party leaders came following the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh's attack on the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

He had said that it would be disastrous for the country, if Modi takes over as the Prime Minister.

Further, the one-year-old party which is now gearing up for the forthcoming parliamentary election said "The UPA and the Congress party stand to lose the moral right to govern the country."

They said that they (UPA and the Congress) have lost the moral right to go to public and seek a fresh mandate to govern the country while pointing out that the Prime Minister has candidly admitted to his government's failure in catering to the needs of people such as employment generation, controlling inflation and curbing corruption.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too attacked other political parties, saying they should concentrate on real issues concerning people instead of discussing who will be the Prime Minister of the country.

"How does it matter who becomes the Prime Minister? The government has increased the price of LPG by Rs 220. How will the poor survive? They do not address these issues but keep on talking about who will be the Prime Minister," said the Aam Aadmi Party chief who is running a minority government with the support of eight Congress legislators in Delhi.

His comments came in response to questions asked by the media shortly after the Prime Minister announced that he will not seek a third term and that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was a fit choice for the top job.

New Delhi, January 3
The Delhi BJP president, Vijay Goel, today demanded rollback of hiked prices of cooking gas and CNG. Goel said, "The price hikes done by the AAP in Delhi and the Congress at the Centre will affect every household in the city. The BJP wants immediate rollback of the increase in prices of water, cooking gas and CNG."

The hike of Rs 220 in non-subsidized LPG cylinder will further tighten the noose on people of Delhi, especially the middle and lower income groups which are grappling with skyrocketing prices of foodgrain and all other essential commodities.

The Prime Minister himself has accepted that there are no jobs. In such a situation, it is not possible for a common man to make both ends meet, Goel said.

The hike in CNG will raise cost of transport and will have a cascading effect on the prices.

Similarly, the hike in water tariff by 10 per cent will also affect the middle class.

Goel said, "Both the Congress and the AAP are raising prices and seem to be supporting each other on this. This is betrayal of the trust of people. Both of them stand exposed today as none of them has even tried to rollback these hikes."

New Delhi, January 3
Following inspections over the last few days, the Aam Aadmi Party government today decided to develop night shelters on as many as 100 locations across the city.

Delhi Urban Development Minister Manish Sisodia said that after doing the detailed exercise, the government has decided to construct 100 night shelters in Delhi. He said that the land for these shelters has been identified.

Stating that the shelters will be varying sizes-with a capacity of 30-40 people to 100 to 300 people, he said shelters of bigger size meant for 100 or more will be developed near hospitals, railway stations and bus terminals while the small night shelters accommodating up to 100 and rest shelters with capacity of 30 to 40 persons will be developed at the remaining locations. These night shelters will soon be constructed, Sisodia said.

The decision came after conducting the inspection of the city during which 33 SDMs of Delhi Government have found 212 such locations, where 4,018 homeless people were found passing nights braving cold.

At some places, the SDMs found more than 100 shelterless people in flocks passing nights, at other places around 40 people were seen out in the open, Sisodia said.

He said a number of NGOs have also come forward to develop the shelters.