THE Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, has urged the public to intervene if they see violence against women, in the wake of the stabbing of a 19-year-old woman by two men in a busy marketplace in the city, writes a staff reporter.

Mr Kejriwal urged people not to remain “mute spectators” but to “raise their voice” against violence. He has also asked the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, to transfer control of Delhi’s police force to the city’s government, and away from central government. He said that the police force acted as if it were unaccountable.

The murder of the 19-year-old, identified only as Meenakshi, is the third such serious criminal incident in the same district of central Delhi in weeks, after the attempted rape of a five-year-old girl, and the murder of a man who tried to stop drunkards outside his house.

The escalating violence against women in troubled areas of Delhi has led the charity Us. (formerly USPG) to focus its Harvest Appeal this year on a programme to help women in the city. The programme runs a 24-hour helpline that receives up to 35 calls a day. The programme also offers emergency support, shelter if needed, counselling, and legal support.