Though the 1984-batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre initially refused to speak on specific investigations such as the cases and chargesheets on Delhi riots, Asthana asserted that there was no bias in their investigation into these cases. “There cannot be any bias. Whatever we investigate is not the final thing. It goes to court and these investigations are evaluated. If there is some deficiency, it is being asked of the police to look into it,” said Asthana.When it was pointed out to Asthana that the Delhi High court had pulled up the Delhi police for selectively slapping the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on activists, Asthana maintained that these orders were sub-judice. “In certain cases where action has been taken, we have seen nothing is biased. If evidence is there, our chargesheet is made accordingly,” added Asthana.Delhi police faces a shortage of women police officers, and the numbers stand at only 12.5% of the police force in the capital. When it was mentioned to Asthana, he underscored that according to the union government guidelines there should be 33% women police officers in the force. “We are working on that. Hopefully, by 2025, we will be at 25%,” explained Asthana.Cases against women have risen in Delhi. According to the data shared by Delhi Police, crime against women in the Capital increased by 63.3% in the first six months of 2021 when compared to 2020. “Women do not need to fear the streets. We are running several community initiatives to sensitise people. We are identifying and covering areas where the streets are not well-lit, and we hope to add more facilitation booths in shadow areas,” said Asthana, who was ruled out of the race for the post of CBI director because he was about to retire on July 31, 2021.
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