Delhi rape-murder: Rahul Gandhi questions Amit Shah on women's safety; four held

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Friday questioned Union Home Minister Amit Shah on women's safety in Delhi, after the rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl in the capital came to light. In Delhi, unlike in the States, the police report to the Union Home Ministry, which places the force directly under the Central government's charge.

The case surfaced on September 13, when the Delhi Police received information about an unidentified body lying in an open field in Swaroop Nagar in outer Delhi. An officer said the body was in a decomposed state. The police said the breakthrough came after the vehicle reportedly used to dispose of the body was identified. A 19-year-old man has been arrested and three minors have been apprehended in connection with the crime, the police said. Under Indian law, the identity of a rape survivor or victim cannot be disclosed, and reporting restrictions apply to cases involving minors.

In a post on X in Hindi, Mr. Gandhi said: "Such a horrific act of brutality in the Capital, and the police had no clue for days." He added: "It is unfortunate that Delhi is no longer the Capital today; it has become a terrifying daily story for women."

Directing his question at the Home Minister, he said: "Amit Shahji, Delhi Police is under your control. Ultimately, whose responsibility is women's safety?" He also asked whether the Delhi Police's role had been reduced to "intimidating and threatening ordinary citizens". Mr. Gandhi said action must be taken against all those found guilty of the rape and murder of the minor, and that accountability for "this criminal negligence" must be fixed.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a post on X in Hindi, said no one in the country was willing to take responsibility for women's safety. "Only empty talk about women's development is offered," she said. "Hundreds of women face atrocities and violence, but they cannot hope for concrete action against the perpetrators — FIRs aren't even filed." Both society and the government, she said, had "completely failed" in granting women their rights to safety, freedom and equality.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Lokeshwaran R. said the incident took place on the intervening night of September 10 and 11. He said the victim's family did not register a missing persons complaint, as the minor was not on good terms with them.

A case has been registered at the Swaroop Nagar police station under Sections 103(1) (murder), 238(a) (causing disappearance of evidence), 65(1) (rape of a woman under 16 years) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the officer said. Further investigation is under way, he added.

The case has renewed public debate over policing and the safety of women and children in the national capital. Delhi is not a full-fledged State: under Article 239AA of the Constitution, police, public order and land remain with the Union government, while the elected Delhi government controls other subjects. The Delhi Police, therefore, answers to the Union Home Ministry, a division of responsibility that Opposition parties have repeatedly cited when demanding accountability for crimes against women in the city.

The registration of a case is the start of a legal process, not a finding of guilt. The accused are entitled to a fair trial, and the investigation is still at an early stage. Law enforcement agencies are expected to complete the inquiry expeditiously, and courts to hear the matter without delay. Public attention now rests on two questions: whether the investigation is conducted thoroughly and without interference, and what institutional steps follow to prevent such crimes.