(a) whether the Supreme Court has recently expressed its displeasure over the attitude of the police force and has condemned its action of beating up of men and women protesting against sexual assaults in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh;
(b) if so, the action taken by the Union and the State Government against the guilty police personnel in this regard; and
(c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to reform the attitude of the police force towards the citizens?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI R.P.N. SINGH)
(a) to (c): Ministry of Home Affairs is not aware of any such observation by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.
Police†and “Public Order†being State subjects under the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India, the State Governments are primarily responsible for prevention, detection, registration and investigation of crime and for prosecuting the criminals through the machinery of their law enforcement agencies under the extant and appropriate law(s), as also for protecting the life and property of the citizens. The Union Government, however, attaches highest importance to the matter of prevention of crime and therefore, has been advising the State Governments and UT Administrations from time to time, to give more focused attention to improving the administration of criminal justice system and take such measures as are necessary for prevention and control of crime.
Ministry of Home Affairs in a detailed advisory dated 04.09.2009 has specifically advised the following :
“Sensitizing the law enforcement machinery towards crime against women by way of well structured training programmes, meetings and seminars etc., for police personnel at all levels as well as other functionaries of the criminal justice system. Such programmes may be incorporated in the syllabus of various Police Training Academies at all levelsâ€
The same has been reiterated in another recent advisory dated 22.04.2013. Both the advisories are available on MHA website.