Delhi Tops Crime Against Women Charts, Yet Its Key Women's Commission Lies Defunct. MP Files PIL

New Delhi- A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court highlighting the continued non-functioning and institutional paralysis of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW), a statutory body established to protect women from violence, abuse, exploitation, and discrimination in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The PIL, bearing Diary No. 52101/2025, was filed by Sudhakar Singh, a Member of Parliament, in public interest and is represented by Advocate Satyam Singh Rajput. It seeks time-bound judicial directions to restore the full physical and administrative functioning of the DCW, ensure adequate staffing and operational readiness of its statutory programs, fill the vacant post of Chairperson within a fixed timeframe, and implement continued judicial monitoring to prevent future lapses.

The petition alleges a grave and ongoing constitutional failure by the state authorities in ensuring the DCW's effective operation. Despite being a key statutory institution mandated to provide immediate institutional support, including grievance redressal, counselling, crisis intervention, and coordination with authorities, the DCW has reportedly remained physically inaccessible and operationally defunct for a prolonged period.

Repeated visits to the Commission's notified premises at Vikas Bhawan during regular working hours showed the office closed and unmanned, with no operational Helpdesk, officers, or staff available to receive or process grievances from women in distress. This has led to a cascading collapse of essential mechanisms such as the Sahyogini family counselling unit, the Helpdesk (established in 2015), the Rape Crisis Cell (set up per judicial directions), Crisis Intervention Centres, Mobile Helpline, Mahila Panchayat programme, and Women Helpline 181.

The situation is further exacerbated by the vacancy in the post of Chairperson since January 2024, resulting in a complete absence of leadership, administrative direction, and accountability.

The petitioner submitted detailed representations on December 26, 2025, to the Chief Secretary of the Government of NCT of Delhi and the Lieutenant Governor, but no effective remedial action was taken. Citing high crime statistics against women in Delhi, from the National Crime Records Bureau's Crime in India 2023 report (released in September 2025), which showed over 13,000 cases in the capital, including the highest number of rape cases among metropolitan cities, the petition emphasizes the urgent need for a functional DCW amid persistent vulnerability.

The PIL invokes the High Court's jurisdiction under Article 226, asserting that the respondents (Government of NCT of Delhi and others) qualify as 'State' under Article 12, and their inaction constitutes a continuing violation of constitutional rights. It relies on precedents such as Vineet Narain v. Union of India (for continuing mandamus and judicial supervision), Common Cause v. Union of India, and Anjali Bhardwaj v. Union of India (for timelines, compliance reports, and accountability measures) to seek structured, monitored restoration of the Commission.

The petitioner stresses that the PIL is filed bona fide, without personal, pecuniary, or political motives, solely to uphold constitutional governance, access to justice, and the dignity and safety of women in Delhi. The matter is expected to be listed for hearing in due course.