Delhi Minister Slams LG Over Spate Of Gun Violence, Says Crime Rate Soaring As Police ‘Busy With VIP Duties’

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj alleges worsening law and order under Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena. He cites the high crime rate, shortage of police staff following recent gun violence incidents.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has raised serious concerns about the deteriorating law and order situation in the capital claiming attributing it to Vinai Kumar Saxena's tenure as Lieutenant Governor (LG).

Bharadwaj told news agency ANI, "The situation in Delhi has been degrading since Vinai Kumar Saxena became LG. The law and order situation is worsening day by day. Now, the criminals do not fear the police. The crime rate is highest in Delhi. Most of the policemen are busy with VIP duties."

"Large societies maintain their security by hiring security guards. People have stopped filing complaints with the police for incidents like chain snatching, mobile snatching, home burglaries, and vehicle thefts because nothing happens," he claimed

On a murder that took place inside a Delhi hospital today, he stressed that "We cannot conduct security checks for entry inside a hospital; even in private hospitals, entry is not through security checks... it is the fear of the law that prevents crime. When your chargesheet situation is so bad that now you cannot file chargesheets for 10% of crimes, criminals know that they can manage."

"The LG should visit police stations daily and conduct surprise checks. If a mistake is found, action should be taken there. Today, no woman wants to go to the police station to file a complaint. Should this be happening in the capital? The Centre has no attention on this matter," he added.

Earlier in the day, Bharadwaj took to social media platform X to further elaborate on his concerns: "Mr LG, since you have come, the law and order situation in Delhi has been deteriorating over the past two years. The fear of the law has disappeared among criminals. They are firing bullets in broad daylight inside hospitals. Murders are happening in Tihar Jail right in front of the police, and the officers just watch. Lawyers are being shot in front of the court. In Jangpura, an elderly person was brutally murdered in their home in broad daylight. Murders in front of CCTV cameras in broad daylight have become common in Delhi. Criminals are fearless. The Delhi Police has been destroyed due to its political misuse."

In his post, Bharadwaj highlighted that the Delhi Police is severely understaffed and that a large proportion of the force is occupied with VIP security. He cited data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), noting that Delhi has the highest crime rate in the country with 1,832 crimes per 1 lakh population. Only 30% of cases are being charge-sheeted. He questioned the LG's effectiveness, asking, "What has LG saab done about law and order situation in Delhi?"

The Delhi minister also referred to the latest NCRB data, which indicates that Delhi recorded over 500 murder cases last year, the highest among all metropolitan cities. Of these, 440 victims were men (including children) and 91 were women. Sixteen cases were related to love affairs, while 13 were due to illicit relationships.

Gun Violence In Delhi

Bharadwaj's remarks come in the wake of several recent violent incidents in Delhi. On Sunday, a 32-year-old man, Riyazuddin, was shot dead by an unidentified assailant inside a ward of GTB Hospital. Riyazuddin had been hospitalised since June 23 for an abdominal infection. The incident occurred in Ward Number 24, with the perpetrator firing at Riyazuddin around 4 pm, according to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara) Surendra Choudhary. The case appears to be one of personal enmity, and police teams have been formed to apprehend the culprit.

In another incident, a 25-year-old man was arrested, and three juveniles were apprehended for assaulting and shooting a man in Lajpat Nagar. The victim, Abhishek Sagar, was beaten with sticks and shot in the leg on Saturday. Abhishek Taneja, listed as a known criminal, was arrested, and the weapon was seized. Taneja claimed the attack was revenge for a previous assault by Sagar.

Additionally, a 50-year-old woman, Shakila, was shot while sleeping in her home in northeast Delhi. She sustained a bullet wound to her left shoulder. The incident occurred at Janata Mazdoor Colony at 2 am on Saturday. Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey stated that efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the suspects. The motive behind the shooting is still being investigated.