In such a situation, it is natural to question the inaction of the police.
Is the the growing crime rate and bloodshed going on with the intent of the Delhi Police? Does the police think that if they take action against the criminals (encounters), they will have to face legal consequences? The police is silent on incidents of crime which have been rising daily, taking a toll of innocent citizens.
About five months ago, two people including a passerby, were innocent victims of a gang war that took place outside a gym in Burari in broad daylight. The Crime Branch and Special Cell of the Delhi Police have launched a manhunt for the gangsters involved in the crime, but so far no arrest has been made in this case.
There were many incidents when the Delhi Police took action against the criminals. Last year, the Delhi Police Special Cell gunned down four criminals inside their car in the Chhatarpur area.
Since then, if we look at the record of over one and a half years, the Delhi Police has not used their guns to stop the miscreants creating mayhem on the streets of the national capital.
The list of unsolved cases is growing where the police have not been able to trace the criminals.
On September 21 this year, a 54-year-old woman Usha was shot dead by a miscreant in East Delhi on a crowded road in broad daylight. The East Delhi DCP's office is just a kilometre away from the spot.
Another incident took place last week in Jyoti Nagar area where criminals shot dead a businessman outside his house. A bag with Rs 2 lakh in cash was found lying on the spot. The case is still unresolved.
Two days ago, a female journalist was robbed in the Hauz Khas area of South Delhi. The victim is undergoing treatment in a hospital. The police is only giving statements in the name of investigation.
Likewise, the case of night-time firing in Krishna Nagar area has also not been solved.
On Tuesday, criminals gunned down a property dealer near Old Palam Vihar in Dwarka. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Anto Alphonse told the media that "the search for the attackers is on".
Amidst the flurry of criminal activities in Delhi, the question is bound to be raised - What is the 85,000 strong Delhi Police force doing and why are their automatic weapons silent?
A source from the Delhi Police Special Cell told on the condition of anonymity: "In fact, the encounter laws have become tougher and no police personnel has the courage to directly take on the criminals. If there is a legal tangle, no one takes responsibility and most of them will try to save themselves."
"Encounters are taking place almost on a daily basis in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh in which the miscreants either get injured or are killed. Now they are fleeing to Delhi to escape the bullets of the Uttar Pradesh Police."
However, Special Commissioner of Police of Delhi, Sanjay Singh dismissed the theory. He told : "Uttar Pradesh crooks cannot dare to enter the border of Delhi.
"As far as an encounter is concerned, it cannot happen in a planned way."
( With inputs from IANS )