It was like any other party in Delhi—aimless banter, plenty to drink, general bonhomie…. During the evening, I was introduced to a scrawny, nondescript youngster who stood out because of his unusually baggy trousers. “He is Richie Mehta, a filmmaker from Canada,” my host introduced him. Richie was looking for a subject. “What about the Nirbhaya case?” I asked. He had, of course, heard of it but felt it was too controversial a subject. I persisted: “Come and see me tomorrow, read our charge-sheet, the court’s order convicting the accused and then decide. I will also connect you with the officers who had dealt with the case.” Richie did turn up at my house the following day. He addressed me as ‘uncle’. He read our charge-sheet and the court order, but was still not sure. I sent him to Chhaya Sharma, the DCP who had led the investigation. As he interacted with her and other officers of the team, he got hooked.
That’s how the seed of Delhi Crime was sown. Initially, my officers, led by Chhaya Sharma, resented Richie, who didn’t inspire confidence, was intrusive, asked for more documents, wanted to visit the scene of crime, the route the bus had taken, meet the victim’s family and so on. Gradually, they began to get along with each other, as Richie researched the subject for four years before commencing the shoot. He was lucky to find a group of youngsters who were ready to invest in the project. At one stage they needed a written undertaking that should there ever be a lawsuit connected with the series, I would take responsibility, as if it was my production! I was hesitant, but they said, “Sir, we are making this series at your behest and, therefore, you should help us. Without this commitment we can’t move further.” I gave in; I was keen to take the story of the Nirbhaya investigation to the world. Thank God, nothing untoward happened, or else I would have been hauled up before US courts!
The shoot presented its own share of problems. The entire shooting was done on actual locales. Whenever the production team could not handle a situation, such as non-cooperation from the traffic or local police, it would turn to me. I knew my successors (the shooting was done over the tenures of three CPs who came after me) would not like to have anything to do with the project, as the crime and its investigation had happened when they were not in command. The shooting, therefore, was carried out without taking their approval, almost clandestinely. Once ready, the series was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in the US, where Netflix picked it up. Delhi Crime has won India its very first Emmy Award. If this is not history then what is?
The Nirbhaya case was not only a defining moment of my career but also a watershed event in Indian criminal jurisprudence. The barbarity of the rape outraged the country, thousands protested, the media went berserk and, willy-nilly, as the CP of Delhi, I became the target of people’s wrath. Everyone wanted my ouster. Had the case not been cracked quickly, the good name I had earned over 37 years of my career would have been negated overnight. The reputation of Delhi Police would have been in the dumps. Fortunately, the smart sleuthing by my officers and men saved the day for us. The laws dealing with offences against women were revised, lending them more teeth. The definition of rape changed too, making the punishment more stringent. Offences like stalking, voyeurism, sexual harassment, acid attack etc were criminalised. Repeat offenders of rape could be sentenced to death.
However, cynics believe nothing has changed. How can there be real change unless the social attitude towards women changes? When 96 per cent of crimes against women are committed within homes by those known to victims, as per NCRB data, real change would happen only when we begin to treat women better in our homes. Though it is a distant dream, we will get there. As more women join the workforce, become financially independent and keep breaking glass ceilings in every profession, attitudes are bound to change for the better.
Neeraj Kumar is a former Delhi Police Commissioner