‘Security Of DTC Passengers Of Utmost Importance’: Delhi High Court Issues Notice On Contempt Plea Concerning Deployment Of Bus Marshals

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice on a plea seeking contempt action against Delhi Government’s Chief and Finance Secretaries for violating earlier orders and delaying the deployment and payment of salaries of bus marshals in the national capital.

Justice Jasmeet Singh observed that the security of passengers, especially women, children and elderly commuters, in the DTC buses is of utmost importance.

The court granted one weeks’ time to Delhi Government’s Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and Finance Secretary Ashish Chandra Verma for filing their reply and listed the matter for hearing on September 04.

The contempt plea has been moved by Advocate Amit Sahni alleging that the officials violated the directions passed by a division bench on December 01 last year and May 01 by discontinuing the Bus Marshals Scheme introduced by the Delhi Government in 2015.

On December 01, 2022, a division bench had directed the Delhi Government to ensure completion of its project for installing panic buttons and Automatic Vehicle Location Tracking System (AVLTS) in all DTC and cluster buses plying in Delhi.

It had also observed that mere presence of a uniformed person in a moving bus acts as a sufficient deterrent to prevent crimes against women.

Subsequently, Sahni filed a PIL this year stating that the authorities were compromising with the safety and security of women as many buses were being run without bus marshals. The petition was disposed of on May 01 by granting liberty to Sahni for filing a contempt plea.

Sahni was also aggrieved that the Delhi Government’s Finance Secretary was not releasing salaries of the bus marshals for the last three months for the reason that the finance department is not in favour of continuing their deployment in Delhi.

During the hearing today, Senior Advocate Manish Vashisht appearing with Sahni told court that despite the assurances given to court earlier, bus marshals have not been deployed and their salaries have not been paid.

“The same seems to be rather shocking as the security of passengers in DTC buses is of utmost importance, especially the lady commuters, children and old people,” Justice Singh said.

Relying on various newspaper reports in his plea, Sahni has submitted that the authorities have been delaying to regularise the deployment of bus marshal and have been simply given extension for the last 5 to 6 years.

“The act of Respondents/Contemners in not regularising the Bus Marshals and withholding their salary, is de-facto compelling them to search for another livelihood, to frustrate the benevolent scheme for deploying Bus Marshals in Delhi Buses, which was introduced in larger public interest of safety and security of Women Commuters,” the plea states.

Case Title: AMIT SAHNI v. NARESH KUMAR & ANR