Delhi gang-rape could have been prevented: Kiran Bedi

The Delhi gang-rape proved the "failure of the leadership" of Delhi Police and the heinous incident could have been prevented, former police officer Kiran Bedi said Saturday.

"Delhi has the best equipped police force in the country and it has adequate powers, but it has incommunicative leadership. The gang-rape was the failure of the leadership. It was preventable," Bedi said.

She said that police needed internal reforms and the force needs to be strengthened at the ground level.

"Police are burdened with VIP security and their traffic movements. That's why they are unable to focus on the safety of the common man," she said.

According to Bedi, the police beat system has to be revived where a constable is responsible for a particular beat consisting of a few blocks in a neighbourhood.

"This way we can tackle crime at the root level. If we prevent minor incidents, the major ones will automatically be taken care of," she said.

The gruesome incident took place Dec 16, 2012, when six youth raped a 23-year-old woman in a moving bus. - IANS