2011 - Indian Social Institute

WOMEN – 2011
(January to December 2011)
Compiled By
Human Rights Documentation∗
Indian Social Institute, Lodi Road, New Delhi – 110 003, (India)
Mayawati suspends MLA from party, after rape charge
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Sunday ordered the suspension from her party of the Naraini
MLA, Purshottam Naresh Dwivedi, a suspect in a case of alleged rape of a minor girl. In what is seen as a
damage control measure, given the embarrassment suffered by the Mayawati regime following the
alleged involvement of some Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs in criminal acts, the suspension of Mr. Dwivedi
comes a day after the Chief Minister ordered an inquiry into the incident by the Crime Branch of the State
Criminal Investigation Department. The alleged gang rape of the girl, from Banda district, and her
subsequent arrest on a charge of theft have assumed political overtones with the Congress and the
Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the government of a cover-up. The National Commission for Scheduled
Castes (NCSC) has also sought a report on the incident. Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh told
journalists here that the MLA would remain suspended until the probe findings were placed before the
Chief Minister. If his involvement in the crime was found true, he would be dismissed from the party and
sent to jail. If he was not involved, he would be rehabilitated. A CB-CID team had started the investigation
and a preliminary report was expected within three weeks. Mr. Singh said the Chief Minister regretted that
NCSC Chairman P.L. Punia was playing politics on the issue. Moreover, he said, it was not within the
commission's jurisdiction to seek a report as the girl is not a Dalit but belongs to a Backward Class. The
father of the girl alleged that his daughter was gang-raped in the MLA's house in Banda, after which she
fled from there in the night of December 12/13. She was arrested from Turra village on December 14
following a first information report lodged by the MLA's kin, charging her with stealing a mobile phone,
money and some clothes. When the Opposition parties raised a protest, the girl was medically examined
in jail on December 29. Mr. Singh said the FIR was lodged at the Attarra police station in Banda by
Mayank Dwivedi. The Congress MLA from Banda Sadar, Vivek Singh, has accused Ms. Mayawati of
trying to save Purshottam Naresh Dwivedi. He assailed her for handing over the investigation to the CBCID. (Hindu, 03/01/2011)
Man held for raping, killing employee’s 60-year-old wife
A 45-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for raping and murdering a 60-year-old woman, who was wife
of his employee, in Majnu Ka Tila in North Delhi on December 31 evening. Achey Lal (45), who was
earlier acquitted in a rape case, was arrested for allegedly raping and murdering the woman, who worked
as a maid, said the police. The 60-year-old woman was found lying on the floor in her house. She was
rushed to Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead, said Additional Deputy
Commissioner of Police DCP (North) Rupinder Kumar. “We solved the case within two hours of
commission of the crime,” said Kumar. Investigators zeroed in Lal after they got a tip-off that he was the
last person seen on the place of incident. His mobile phone was also found lying near the body. Lal, who
was trying to escape from the spot, was apprehended and during questioning, he “confessed” to the
crime. “Initially, he tried to mislead the police by telling that she was a motherly figure. However, he later
broke down and confessed of having killed the lady after raping her,” Kumar said. According to Kumar,
the accused told his interrogators that his wife had gone to her native place since a long time and his
sexual desires were not being fulfilled. “The victim was the wife of his labourer and he usually visited the
house of the deceased. On December 31, he reached her house and sent her husband for work. He and
deceased were alone at the house. “They both consumed alcohol and after this, Lal allegedly attacked
her. She resisted. When the victim tried to resist, he shut her mouth with a cloth which led to her death,”
he said. Achey Lal is a habitual drunkard. He was earlier arrested in a rape case in Civil Lines but had
been acquitted in that case. (Pioneer, 03/01/2011)
Missing girl found dead in Dwarka; neighbours, friends interrogated
∗
This is a collection of previously published news and views from the print as well as the electronic media, whose reference
marked at the end of each news items. Department of Documentation and Library (DDL) of the Indian Social Institute, New
Delhi neither claims to the veracity of the facts in the news nor subscribes to the views expressed.
With the first case of crime against woman reported in the Capital in 2011, a 17-year-old girl was found
murdered under mysterious circumstances in Dwarka area of Southwest district. She had gone missing
on December 31. The girl was brutally murdered and her body was found in half-necked condition. The
police have detained three neighbours and friends of the deceased in this connection. The police said the
body was recovered from a vacant plot in Sector 4, Dwarka. Acting on the information, a police team
reached the spot. “Her neck was covered with jeans and her face was crushed with blunt object,” said
police official. A missing case was registered with Mandir Marg police station in this connection. “The girl
has been identified as Jennifer (18). She was rushed to Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, where she was
declared brought dead. Investigators are waiting for the postmortem report to ascertain whether she was
raped or not,” said a police officer. “The deceased was residing with her 21-year-old brother in the fourth
class servant quarters of Lady Hardinge Hospital,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest
district) Sharad Aggarwal adding that the doctors conducting postmortem of the deceased has confirmed
that sexual intercourse was carried out before the death but no signings of strangulation is found on the
deceased body. It is yet to ascertain that the sexual intercourse was consensual or forceful. She was
attacked with a blunt object or stone on the head. “We have detained three people in this connection, who
are neighbour and friends of the deceased. Prima facie it seems to be a handiwork of someone close to
the deceased,” Aggarwal added. “She did not disclose the name of her friend when she left her residence.
Where and with whom she had gone is the matter of investigation,” Aggarwal further said. According to a
police officer, Jennifer had left her house in the evening around 5.30 pm of 31st December for a party,
which was organised in Sarojini Nagar area at one of her relative’s residence. On Saturday night, her
body was found in Dwarka. The official further said that they were awaiting for the postmortem report to
ascertain the exact cause of the death. Two years back the deceased’s father Harrison passed away
while her mother expired in 2002. Meanwhile, the police have informed the family members of the
deceased. (Pioneer, 03/01/2011)
Divorce now a common word
Seeking a divorce from a troubled marriage is no more limited to the 'celebrities' and the 'elites' as
increasing number of middle class people are also hitting the splitsville due to high stress level and more
options available to find a second partner, say experts. The latest reports of troubled marriage have hit
Arun Nayar- Liz Hurley and Big Boss 4 participants Ali Merchant and Sara Ali. Experts say divorce rate is
at a high as the social stigma associated with it in middle class is fast disappearing. "In the absence of
joint families, people don't even know what are family and marriage values are. They don't even get time
to understand why are they getting married in first place," says Dr Kamal Khurana, a Delhi-based
marriage and relationship therapist. There is no concrete data available on the number of divorces taking
place in Delhi but divorce lawyer Osama Suhail says it is in the range of 6,000 to 8,000 per year. "The
role of women in the family is changing as they are doing jobs and matching steps with their husbands.
They are being more assertive and in many cases, it leads to a divorce," says Suhail. Divorce rate is as
low as 1.1 per cent in India as compared to 50 per cent in USA but the cases are on rise in metros than
the rural areas. "The family fabric is intact in villages as we have joint families. But in metros, couples
suffer from the consumer mentality. They see marriage as just another service and they want to change it
if it's not working properly," says Khurana. The reason for rise in divorce cases in capital than the other
cities is also because people are more career oriented and materialistic here and as a result, they have
no time for family. Suhail has an interesting reason behind it. "Victims can get more maintenance here
compared to other parts of India as salary packages are higher. In one of my recent cases, a woman got
one lakh as maintenance per month after divorce," he says. Vivek Pahwa, CEO of the website
secondshaadi.com which helps people to find a spouse after a divorce says there are around two lakh
registered users on his website all over India. "Out of them, around 25 per cent belong to Delhi and it
ranks highest in number of divorcees seeking a match," says Pahwa. He says 70 per cent of the total
users are in the age group of 25 years to 40 years. Psychiatrist Sanjay Chugh says the channels to find a
new partner are numerous these days which prompt the people to move on from a stuck marriage.
"Internet has made the job of finding a partner very easy. With so many social networking sites, people
can find a suitable match," says Chugh. However, Khurana has a simple mantra for a successful
marriage. "Whatever you want from your partner, give that in return. That's the simplest way to keep your
marriage successfully intact," he says. (Deccan herald, 03/01/2011)
Govt turns blind eye to women's household work
In July this year, the Supreme Court expressed outrage at the inclusion of housewives in the same
category as prostitutes and prisoners in the Census, calling it a callous approach. The Supreme Court's
reaction was in line with the concerns that have been expressed worldwide by researchers, feminists and
even policy makers to give some recognition to unpaid care work, usually provided by women. Though
unpaid care work and its importance have been recognized, it still remains outside monetized mainstream
economies. Reasons behind the exclusion of this non-productive work is found in the difficulties that are
involved in valuing and measuring care services, like taking care of children and cooking. The Central
Statistical Organization (CSO) undertook an effort in this direction in 1998. It conducted India's first Time
Use Survey (TUS). It was a pilot survey and it covered only six states. The objective of the survey was to
quantify the economic contribution of women to the national economy and to study the gender
discrimination in the household activities. This survey, the first of its kind was conducted fifty years after
the birth of independent India in recognition of a recommendation forwarded by UNDP. More than a
decade later, it remains the only one. Neetha N, researcher at the United Nations Research Institute for
Social Development (UNRISD), examines the concept of care work within the context of TUS and
concludes that TUS was designed with a very limited and simplistic understanding of care work. But this
alone does not explain why in the last ten years, CSO, the technical wing of ministry of statistics did not
conduct a more in depth TUS, one encompassing all Indian states. Perhaps the answer lies in Pronab
Sen's response. Sen, principal adviser in the Planning Commission admits, utility of the TUS is not clear.
TUS, Sen explains is extremely expensive and it requires round the clock monitoring of the respondents,
which in the case of the 1998 survey included 18,591 households, for close to a year. In addition to being
expensive, a certain level of superficiality in these surveys is hard to overlook. Neetha N urges that in
order to understand care work one needs to go beyond strict activity-based understanding. Then there
are other problems like distinguishing between care work and domestic work. Also, something like
washing clothes, which is care work, when done by the housewife/mother and economic work when done
by a paid hand, brings out the nuances that TUS failed to address. (TOI, 03/01/2011)
Woman stabs BJP MLA to death
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's MLA from Purnia, Raj Kishore Kesri, was on Tuesday stabbed to
death at his residence here in full public view by a woman who had earlier accused him of sexual
harassment. Mr. Kesri (51), a four-time MLA, was meeting visitors from his constituency at his Sipahi Tola
residence when Rupam Pathak stabbed him in the spleen, DGP Neelmani told PTI in Patna. The
profusely bleeding MLA was rushed to a hospital but he died of injuries on the way, doctors said. The
visitors beat up Pathak (45) and handed her over to the police. The woman, who had lodged a sexual
harassment case six months ago against Mr. Kesri, was admitted to a government hospital in Katihar. Mr.
Neelmani asked Purnia Superintendent of Police N.H. Khan to ensure that the charge sheet was filed in
the next two days. Additional DGP P.K. Thakur said the murder was premeditated and not the result of
Pathak's anger over the police not looking into her complaint. Mr. Thakur said the woman had retracted
her statement of sexual harassment against Mr. Kesri before a first-class judicial magistrate and her
husband had also recorded his statement in support of the MLA. “We are probing the case from all
angles,” he said. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar directed the DGPs to constitute a high-level probe team,
review the security of all legislators, and ensure that those who visited them were frisked. Mr. Kumar, who
asked his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi to rush to the spot, said that Mr. Kesri's cremation would take place
with full state honours. He also appealed to the people and supporters of the MLA in Purnia to maintain
peace. State BJP president C.P. Thakur condemned the killing and said the case must be investigated
thoroughly. Pathak showed no remorse for her action, accusing the MLA of targetting her. “It will be better
if I am hanged,” she told journalists. Describing Mr. Kesri's death as “unfortunate,” the Rashtriya Janata
Dal demanded that adequate security be provided for legislators. “The killing of the ruling party MLA is
condemnable and unfortunate... we demand proper security for MLAs and even ex-MLAs,” the party's
State general secretary Shakeel Ahmed Khan said. Mr. Kesri's body was handed over to relatives after
autopsy even as security measures were beefed up in Purnia to avert any untoward incident following the
murder. District Magistrate N. Sarwan Kumar said the body was handed over to Mr. Kesri's relatives after
autopsy and that the entire process was videographed. The body will be cremated with full state honours
in Purnia after the MLA's son Rahul, who studies in New Delhi, arrives by train on Wednesday. — PTI
(Hindu, 05/01/2011)
Principal arrested for raping teacher
KALYAN: A principal of a school in Kinhavali was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly raping and mentally
harassing a teacher over four years. Ramakesa Gavit (46) even went to the extent of forcing the 27-yearold victim to sign on a stamp paper, declaring that the act was "consensual" . According to the complaint,
the teacher joined the zilla parishad primary school in 2006 and soon after, Gavit started harassing her,
accusing her of coming late and not teaching well. He continued torturing her mentally , and on one
occasion, he raped her. He also then threatened her that she would be terminated if she lodged a
complaint, the police said. "Even after the victim got married, Gavit kept pestering her and would even
visit her at her residence where he would rape her over the years. Finally, the victim revealed everything
to her husband in March," Manohar Patil, in-charge of Kinhavali police station told TOI. "The couple
lodged a complaint with us on Monday night after which we arrested Gavit from his residence in
Shahapur." Gavit has been sent to police custody till January 10. (TOI, 05/01/2011)
Top Andhra cop transferred over sexual harassment allegations
The Andhra Pradesh government Wednesday night transferred Vijayawada Police Commissioner P.S.R.
Anjaneyulu and ordered a probe against him for allegedly sexually harassing some women. The officer
has not been given any posting. The inspector general of police (Eluru range) has been given additional
charge of Vijayawada police commissioner. The transfer orders were issued after the government ordered
a probe against the officer. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, who was away in New Delhi, told
reporters that he had directed Director General of Police Aravinda Rao to probe the allegations.
Anjaneyulu allegedly made sexual advances to some high profile women, including a doctor and a
lecturer, by making repeated phone calls and sending SMSes to them. After a Telugu television channel
carried the transcripts of the SMSes, the police officer admitted to sending the SMSes, saying he was
playing a game with a politician who had laid a trap for him. The Indian Police Service (IPS) officer
alleged that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Vallabhaneni Vamsi was trying to implicate him out of
grudge for reducing his security cover. Vamsi, however, denied the allegations. No woman has come
forward to lodge a complaint with the police but Aravinda Rao said there would be a thorough probe into
the allegations. Rao said an officer of the rank of additional director general would conduct the inquiry.
State Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy said appropriate action would be taken after receiving a report
from the police chief. (Deccan Herald, 06/01/2011)
MLA’s PA raped me 10 times: Rupam
More dirt has tumbled up in the BJP MLA murder case after Rupam Pathak, who stabbed Raj Kishore
Keshri to death, told the police that not only the Purnia legislator but his private assistant (PA) Bipin Rai
too had sexually exploited her ten times. “Vidhayak ji ne to ek baar kiya, lekin unke PA ne toh dus baar
aisa kiya. (The MLA had raped me once, but his PA did it ten times),” Rupam reportedly told the police
who were interrogating her as she recuperate at Katihar Medical College and Hospital (KMCH). After
doctors declared her normal, the police on Thursday evening took her to Purnia amid tight security and
produced her before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), where her statement was recorded. The CJM
later remanded her to 14 days of judicial custody. Meanwhile, amid growing clamour for fair trial and
justice to Rupam, the Nitish regime has decided to probe the sex slur on deceased legislator afresh. It
was against this backdrop that Purnia DIG Amit Kumar personally interrogated Rupam and said there was
no evidence to show that she was blackmailing the legislator. The police theory was contrary to what
Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi had said a day back. Perceived to be the
mentor of Keshri, Modi had said that Rupam was a blackmailer, and had been trying to tarnish the image
of the BJP MLA. Rai initial target Notwithstanding what Modi said, Rupam told the police that had Bipin
Rai been present there on that fateful day, she would have stabbed Rai first. Sources quoting police said
that Rai had promised Rupam a great launch in politics. Bihar DGP Neelmani said the police would look
into the veracity of Rupam’s allegation of sexual assault afresh. The police had earlier closed the
investigation and submitted the final report in the court as investigators could not find evidence to
corroborate the charges. Rupam had turned hostile in the court after levelling rape charges against the
legislator last year. Meanwhile, the servant of Rupam staying on the premises of Rajhans High school told
the police that she had ordered a paratha as breakfast on Tuesday morning, following which she went
into the kitchen and probably hid the kitchen knife beneath her shawl, which he could not notice then.
Rights panel moved In the meantime, Rupam’s mother Kumud Mishra has sought the intervention of
Bihar State Women’s Rights Commission and pleaded for justice to her incarcerated daughter. “I am
proud of what Rupam has done,” Kumud told after coming out of the office of the rights panel in Patna. To
a specific query, why Rupam had earlier withdrew the charges against the MLA, a distraught Kumud said,
“The MLA and his goons had warned Rupam that if she did not withdraw charges, her son Ayush would
be kidnapped and murdered.” (Deccan herald, 07/01/2011)
Violence at home linked to deaths of 18 lakh girls
NEW DELHI: The deaths of 18 lakh girl children in India in the past two decades have for the first time
been linked to domestic violence against their mothers. After examining over 1.58 lakh births that took
place between 1985 and 2005, an international team of researchers found that spousal violence against
wives increased the risk of death among female children, but not male children, in both the first year and
the first five years of life. Lead author Jay Silverman, associate professor of society, human development
from Harvard School of Public Health, said, "Being born a girl into a family in India in which your mother is
abused makes it significantly less likely that you will survive early childhood. Shockingly, this violence
does not pose a threat to your life if you are lucky enough to be born a boy." According to authors, this
disparity is connected directly with the lower investment in girl children in areas like nutrition,
immunization and care for major causes of infant and child death like diarrhoea and respiratory infections.
This neglect of girl children is likely to be most pronounced in families where women's status is lowest —
where women are physically abused by husbands. The study published in the January issue of the
journal "Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine" has been conducted jointly by researchers from
Harvard School of Public Health, Indian Council of Medical Research, Boston University School of Public
Health and the National Institute for Research in Reproductive Health in Mumbai. "Family violence
against women in India must be vigorously challenged, given that even a very small reduction in this
abuse may lead to the saving of tens of thousands of lives of girl infants and children," said Silverman.
Violence against women is rampant in India. According to India's latest National Family Health Survey-III,
which interviewed 1.25 lakh women in 28 states during 2005-06, over 40% of women reported being
beaten by their husbands at some point of time. Over 51% of the 75,000 men interviewed didn't find
anything wrong with assaulting their wives. More shockingly, around 54% of the women surveyed thought
that such violence was justified on one ground or the other. An earlier study done by Harvard on domestic
violence in India had made another major finding –– children of women beaten up or abused by husbands
were 21% more likely to die before turning 5. (TOI, 07/01/2011)
NAC for covering domestic workers in anti-harassment bill
The National Advisory Council headed by Sonia Gandhi today suggested to the government to bring
domestic workers under the purview of a proposed law for protection of women against sexual
harassment at workplace. Voicing concern over the exclusion of domestic workers from the purview of the
Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010, the NAC sought amendments
to certain clauses of the draft legislation. Women domestic workers were not included within the ambit of
the bill, which was tabled in Parliament last month. The government contended that as domestic workers
were in the non-formal sector, it was difficult to bring them within the scope of the bill. A section of the
NAC members strongly favoured inclusion of domestic workers under the purview of the bill. The NAC
also decided to ask the government to drop a clause in the bill that they felt could prevent women from
coming forward to seek protection against sexual harassment at workplace. "The safeguards provided to
them (women) by this bill are weakened by the inclusion of clause 14 (punishment for false or malicious
complaint and false evidence), which might deter victims from seeking protection of the proposed
legislation," the NAC said in a statement. "NAC therefore recommended extending protection of the
proposed legislation to domestic workers; and removal of clause 14 from the proposed legislation," it
added. The NAC also decided to constitute a Working Group of its members to evolve an integrated and
holistic approach to provide safeguards and security to domestic workers. (Deccan herald, 11/01/2011)
Farmers, professionals 2 classes with high suicide tendency
AHMEDABAD: Profiles of suicide victims have revealed some newer, more disturbing, trends in 2009.
This was the year of suicides by housewives. "Ahmedabad (175) and Rajkot (164) reported the highest
number of such suicides. Domestic abuse and family troubles have been the prime reasons. Rajkot
accounted for nearly 30% suicides by those in the private sector. Close to 600 victims in the state were
unemployed. Farmers (588) and professionals (552) were other two classes with high suicide tendency,"
said a senior state police official. The study revealed that married people were more prone to suicide.
More than 70% victims were married. Women accounted for 60% of such suicides, said officials. Officials
have observed that education does have impact on suicides. The trend revealed that more educated the
people were lower were their chances of suicide. Highest number was reported with secondary education
(2,244) followed by never educated (1,273). Only 84 graduates and seven post-graduates resorted to
suicides in the state. Hanging was the most adopted means to end life in the state; 20% victims hung
themselves, mostly at home, for suicide. It was followed by consuming poison (1,454) and immolating self
(1,041). Use of sleeping pills and jumping took a back seat in 2009 with a dip of nearly 25% compared to
2008. (TOI, 11/01/2011)
Want a leg up from lady boss? Shave
MUMBAI: Women bosses prefer clean-shaven male colleagues, a survey conducted across eight metros
shows. More than 82% in the Nielsen India study, done in December, said "female bosses always prefer
clean shaven men in the office". In the first-of-its-kind survey, 626 men were asked what they want and
"on what they think women want". Among those who lent their voices to this prickly issue are Bollywood
actors Mallika Sherawat, Maliaka Arora Khan and Neha Dhupia. Of the 414 women bosses surveyed,
almost 90% said they "prefer clean-shaven men"; 79% said such men have successful careers. "It's
always the clean-shaven employee who gets a chance to attend meetings and travel out of the office,"
said 85% of the respondents. Particularly, in a woman-on-top situation, 86% said that "when it comes to
promotion, especially with female bosses, the clean-shaven men always have an upper hand". The doorto-door survey, which might make men shift their attention from the iPad to the mirror, covered teens as
young as 15 to those who were well entrenched in careers at 45. While online videos on hair removal
below the neck and "everywhere" aimed at the average Joe are attracting millions of views from men in
Manhattan to Melbourne, men across India still take pride in facial hair. But illustrating a changing trend in
the metros, 66% of the respondents in cities said "getting a job is a cakewalk for a clean-shaven man".
Last year, a survey showed that women liked their men stubble-less. In the latest survey, 80% men
agreed that a woman wants her man to be clean-shaven every day, and 66% agreed that women feel
clean-shaven men are more approachable. Men on the marriage market prefer to be clean-shaven; 71%
of the respondents said women prefer taking a clean-shaven man to meet her parents. Also, if men think
they can slacken off during weekends, they might have to think again; 73% of the male respondents said
women like to accompany clean-shaven men to a party and almost an equal percentage said women feel
their partners should be clean-shaven especially on weekends. (TOI, 12/01/2011)
Sexual minorities' rally in Belgaum today
BELGAUM: The members of Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum will stage a protest rally here on
Wednesday, urging the government to fulfil their demands. The rally will begin from Ramdev Galli at 12
noon and conclude at Gogte Ranga Mandir. Addressing mediapersons here on Tuesday, forum state
president Veena said there is a need for creating awareness among the people about sexual minorities,
who are facing lot of problems in society. "What is our mistake for being like this? Most of the families
deny property share to sexual minorities and send them out from home. Many families forcibly arrange
their marriage with the opposite gender, which should be stopped," Veena said. Veena blamed the
government for sidelining sexual minorities, saying the government order which was issued five months
ago in favour of the community has not reached the departments concerned so far. The GO mentions the
inclusion of community into 2A category, paying Rs 400 monthly pension on the lines of Devadasis, giving
houses through Slum Board, issuing BPL ration cards through the food and civil supply department,
paying loan to start small-scale business, including their names in voters' list and giving 1% reservation in
higher education. (TOI, 12/01/2011)
Indian girl invited to attend WEF in Davos
When language fails, art takes over, said world renowned neuroscientist V S Ramachandran at an
interaction here recently. Anjali ChandrashekarThe observation fits 17-year-old Anjali Chandrashekar,
who started using visual arts to serve social causes like health and environment. Anjali is not only the
youngest Indian but also the only Asian to be invited as a “global changemaker” for attending the
prestigious World Economic Forum (WEF), annual meet at Davos in Switzerland being held from January
26-30. The British Council has chosen her as part of the “Global Changemakers Initiative”. “The WEF is
one of the biggest fora and I look forward to be a part of it,” Anjali told Deccan Herald. She is leaving next
week for a six-day training programme for youth participants in Zurich before the WEF meeting. A class
XII student of Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Junior College in Chennai, Anjali will be joining four others—
a girl each from Israel and Brazil and a boy each from New Zealand and US—to get a feel of the world’s
“Ideas Lab” at the WEF. “The ‘Global Changemakers’ is a network of young social entrepreneurs and
activists from 110 countries who come together to share ideas and work together on projects impacting
lives of the poor,” according to the British Council (BC). A commerce student, Anjali has been into painting
and sculpture making from the age of four. She learned the arts from students of the Government College
of Arts, Chennai. “I have been learning alongside them, though I did not have a formal tutor,” she said.
Putting her art to use for fund-raising for social causes, Anjali teaches blind children to make sculptures
and volunteers for Unesco and Unicef. Anjali’s painting of a logo for the 2010 International Biodiversity
Year will be published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation this year. In November 2010, she was one
of the 60 people from 37 countries to participate in a ‘Global Youth Summit’ near London. From that
group, she was one of five youths selected for the WEF. She gets her Karnataka connection from her
mother, Anuradha, who is from the state. Her father, P V Chandrasekhar, is a Railways employee.
(Deccan herald, 13/01/2011)
Rape case registered against MLA, 3 others
A case was finally registered against Bahujan Samaj Party MLA from Naraini (Banda), Purshottam
Naresh Dwivedi, and his three cohorts in connection with the torture and rape of a poor girl on
Wednesday. While issuing orders to arrest the accused, the state government claimed that the victim too
was not innocent and was involved in a theft. Addresing mediamen, Cabinet Secretary Shashank
Shekhar Singh disclosed Wednesday evening : "A case has been registered against MLA Purshottam
Naresh Dwivedi and his three aides and instructions have been isued for their arrest." Identifying the
legislator's aides as Rajendra Shukla, Surendra Neta and Ravindra Shukla, Singh said that a case of
rape, kidnapping and hurling abuses was registered at the Kotwali police station of Banda under sections
against the four accused. The government decision came after the pobe agency - Crime Branch-Crime
Investigation Department (CB-CID), finding victim sheelu's allegations true, submitted a preliminary report
to DGP Karamveer Singh. The report was handed over to the Cabinet Secretary by the DGP and ADG
(CB-CID) Gurbachan Lal earlier in the day. Meanwhile replying to a querry on whether the victim was set
up and sent to jail to silence her, Singh explained that the CB CID found the charges of theft against
Sheelu to be true. "The CID sleuths found that during her four day stay at the MLA's house, the girl had
stolen a cellphone set and Rs 5,000. She later made at least 150 calls from the mobile phone," said the
Cabinet Secretary. Well placed sources claimed that the CB-CID sleuths were now waiting for the DNA
test report to collect some conclusive evidence against the accused. (Pioneer, 13/01/2011)
Illiterate, they perform root canal operation
TILONIA (AJMER): Bhawri and Kesar Devi of Tilonia village in Rajasthan's Ajmer district have never been
to school. They used to work in the fields and also doubled up as village midwives to eke out a living.
Now, the two women, in their fifties, are learning tricky dental procedures like root canal operation. Bhawri
and Kesar were chosen by a team of Italian dentists visiting Tilonia's Barefoot College, an NGO run by
Sanjit Roy, popularly known as Bunker Roy. They were looking to train village women to perform basic
dental procedures and make villagers aware of dental hygiene. "The idea was to simplify the procedures
so that illiterate women could learn. For this, we wanted to select women who are not afraid of the sight of
blood," said Giuseppe Petretta, an economist working with four doctors on the project conceived four
years ago. Bhawri and Kesar fitted the bill. And, their training in dentistry began at the Barefoot College.
"Dentistry is not so developed in India, especially in rural areas. So, we wanted to do something here. I
scouted round the country for NGOs to get associated with us so that we could teach them," he said.
They found the Barefoot College to be the "perfect place". Bhawri and Kesar can now clean teeth, fill
cavities and are skilled in tooth extraction. They treat 120-odd patients from nearby villages every
month.They also teach children dental hygiene at night schools. Now, they are learning how to perform
root canal operation. And, they are keen learners. While performing a root canal on a patient's wisdom
tooth, the Italian dentist said, "Hand me the prop. Where is the mirror? Keep the tweezers ready." Bhawri
and Kesar didn't fumble. Deftly, they passed the correct surgical instrument to the dentist. And, not
knowing English didn't pose any problem. "We used to call the instruments 'kanta', 'aina' and 'cheemta'.
The doctors taught us their English names," said Bhawri. The duo also get unexpected rewards for a job
well done. "Recently, a person, surveying the area for mining work in a helicopter, had a toothache. With
no dentist around, he touched down at the college helipad. Bhawri and me treated him. Since we don't
charge money, he took us for a joy ride on his copter," Kesar said. (TOI, 13/01/2011)
Woman gangraped in moving vehicle in Sikar
JAIPUR: A woman was allegedly gangraped in a moving vehicle in Sikar district on Wednesday night. In
an FIR lodged by the victim at the Patan police station on Thursday, the woman alleged that four persons
abducted her, along with her husband, from their house on Wednesday night and raped her while her
husband was thrown out of the jeep on the way. In the FIR, she has identified the four accused as Bhiron
Singh, Shakti Singh, Rakesh Singh and Chindu. The victim said the accused came called her husband
out of their hut. After that, they forcibly put into a jeep and drove away. On the way, they gagged and
blindfolded her and then threw her husband out. The four then took turns to rape her. They later dumped
the woman at a deserted spot. "They tied the hands of victim's husband and threw him out of a jeep.
Later, the woman was taken to an isolated place and raped in the vehicle," the police said. Police have
arrested two of the four accused. Search is on for the remaining two. (TOI, 14/01/2011)
‘Need to treat forcible sex with wife as rape’
The government on Thursday conveyed to the Supreme Court the necessity to treat forcible sexual
intercourse by a man with his wife as rape, saying even the Law Commission has recommended the
“change” in law. Currently, it does not constitute rape if a man has sexual intercourse with his wife who is
aged over 15. “Worldwide in law a man can rape his wife even if she is an adult. But here, it becomes an
offence only if the woman who is his wife is aged below 15 years. This certainly requires amendment and
the Law Commission has also recommended change,” Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising said
before a bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and Deepak Verma. Jaising was referring to the various
anomalies in statutes regarding the “age of childhood” for girls and a lack of clarity on the legal status of
child marriages. The hearing was based on a petition by National Commission for Women highlighting the
various anomalies in different laws which were defeating the very purpose of banning child marriages
under the Child Marriage Restraint Act. “As the law stands today, child marriages are neither void nor
voidable. There should be uniformity in law as regards the age of childhood,” Jaising said. Citing
examples, she said though the Child Marriage Act prevents marriage of girls below 18 years, Section 11
of the Hindu Marriage Act does not declare a marriage void if the girl is below 18. In fact, Section 13 of
the Hindu Marriage Act says that if a marriage is contracted with a girl below 15 and not repudiated by her
till she reaches the age of 18, then the marriage can only be terminated through divorce. The bench
asked the government to address the concerns and shortcomings in law at preventing child marriages.
(IE, 14/01/2011)
SC to hear plea for probe on Friday
Jailed after being raped, the Banda victim, who is waging a battle against her alleged rapist BSP MLA
Purushottam Dwivedi and the State police, saw help coming from the most unexpected quarters with
noted lawyer Harish Salve on Monday requesting the Supreme Court to hold a judicial probe into the
incident. An apex bench headed by Chief Justice SH Kapadia will hear Salve’s application on Friday. The
order was made by a Bench comprising the CJI, Justices Aftab Alam and KS Radhakrishnan during
hearing of a PIL filed by Prakash Singh on implementation of police reforms laid down by a historic
decision of the court in 2006. Senior advocate Harish Salve, who made a mention before the Bench with
a two-page application, requested an urgent intervention by the court into the matter, which clearly was
an aberration on the part of police functioning. The Dalit girl was put in prison for charge of theft, which
violated the procedure contained in the rulebook. Moreover, being a minor, the police should proceed
against her under the Juvenile Justice Act by keeping her at a juvenile home. Faced with pressure from
all quarters, the police finally decided to release the victim giving her a clean chit. She spent over a month
in jail while her alleged rapist was allowed to roam free. Salve demanded an inquiry into the incident by
the District Judge, Allahabad and suggested the report to be submitted to the Supreme Court within a
week. Pressing for an urgent intervention, the application prepared by Salve stated, “An investigation into
this incident would give this court valuable insight into where the system has failed and the kind of
directions that would be necessary to ensure that if what is alleged in the news reports is true, such
incidents do not repeat themselves.” The apex court decided to entertain the application since the PIL
pointed out that implementation of police reforms was lacking on many counts. With police reforms aimed
to insulate police from all kinds of political interference and provide them effective working conditions,
secure tenure, the Bench saw the concern expressed about the minor victim being possibly harassed for
daring to point fingers at the accused, a high-profile politician. (Pioneer, 18/01/2011)
Gangrape in moving car: 3 classmates held in Gzb
In a stark reminder to the Dwarka rape and murder of a schoolgirl in Delhi, a Class X student in a
Ghaziabad school was gangraped in a moving car last week. The complaint was registered on Sunday
night after the lapse of three days of the incident. The accused have been arrested after the medical
examination of the victim confirmed rape, claimed the police. The incident occurred on Wednesday in Raj
Nagar posh residential locality under Kavi Nagar police station of the city. The police said the girl (15), a
student of Class X in Mahavir Inter College at Raj Nagar in Ghaziabad, was going to attend her tuition
classes in Raj Nagar. On her way one of her classmates Rizwan met her near the school and offered a lift
on his motorcycle which she accepted. “When Rizwan was driving near Garhi locality on Meerut road,
three students of the same college reached them and offered lift in their car. When Rizwan and the girl
refused to accept their offer, one of the three students Monu, who was close to the girl in her class,
pleaded to accept the offer. But Rizwan continued to refuse their offer. In the meantime, the girl
reluctantly accepted Monu’s offer and moved into the car. The students drove the car to an abandoned
area of Raj Nagar Extension and gangraped the girl in the moving car. After committing the crime the
students left her on Meerut road and fled,” said a police official. After reaching home the victim narrated
the entire story to her parents. “But they could not muster courage to lodge an FIR against the accused in
view of their social reputation,” said police. But on Sunday the girl’s mother lodged a complaint with the
Kavi Nagar police and recounted the entire sequence of the crime. After registration of the case, the
police conducted the medical examination. “Prime facie the medical examination confirms rape but the
slide has been sent for an advanced test. On Tuesday, the girl would be produced before the court for her
statement under Section 164 of the CrPC. In certain cases rape is established even without supporting
medical examination report that happens when the girl surrenders under duress. Let us see what she
speaks before the court,” said the Circle Officer II Rajiv Kumar Singh. “On her statement to the
investigation officer, the police have arrested the three students. Accused Nitin and Amit are students of
11th standard in the same college. On their confession the third accused Monu, student of Class X and
the victim’s classmate on whose instigation she was lured into the car, has been arrested. Swift car used
in the crime has also been seized,” added Singh. “The mother said four students were involved in the
crime. Two students were named as Nitin and Amit while two accomplices were unidentified. Monu’s
name surfaced during the investigation after one of the accused confessedto the crime and revealed his
name,” said Singh. (Pioneer, 18/01/2011)
Senior cops threatening me: Banda woman jail warden
LUCKNOW: The woman jail warden whose deposition before the Criminal Investigation Department
sealed the fate of the BSP MLA in the Banda girl`s rape case said she is being threatened by her seniors.
"I was threatened and told not to open my mouth before the police. But I refused," said Banda district jail
warden Shahnaz Begum on Sunday. "My seniors pushed and shoved me out of office. Now they are
trying to transfer me to the jail farm which is more like a punishment posting," she said. "I`ll kill myself if
they do this," Shahnaz added. Shahnaz was the lone jail staffer to speak out against the powerful ruling
party MLA Purshottam Dwivedi who allegedly raped the Banda girl and left her bleeding profusely. "Had it
not been for the warden, I would not have got medical help," said the girl, whose age is disputed. While
her father says she is 17 and a minor, the police claim she is 22. Answering Shahnaz`s charge that her
superiors threatened her, Banda jail superintendent V K Singh said, "Shahnaz is trying to encash the
situation. Her transfer orders are pending for over a month." The girl, released from jail on Saturday
following a Allahabad high court order, said: "Ab to chahe goli mar dein tab bhi nahi chup hoongi (I will
speak out even if they shoot me)." The dalit girl then said, "Agar nyay nahi mila... to hum khud nyay
lenge, Phoolan Devi ki tarah (if denied justice, I will get it like Phoolan Devi did)." But she fears for her
family`s safety. "I told police that SP (City, Anil Rai) met me in jail and offered me money to keep quiet
about the MLA... and that the lady doctors kept saying I was not raped and that I was lying. These people
can harm me and my family," she told TOI over telephone late on Saturday. Police gave her armed
guards after she spoke about her fears. Dwiwedi and his cronies are not the only threat, she said. "I told
the police everything... how an officer refused to record my statement and how another officer beat me up
and said I would never be out of jail," she said. Asked what gave her the courage to take on a politician,
the girl said, "I know if I am right, things will change." She also questioned her alleged rapist`s claim that
she was illiterate. "I went to a village school and studied till Class V," she said. Congress MLA from
Banda Vivek Singh, who led the campaign against Dwivedi, also said his life is under threat. Both Singh
and Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna wrote to chief minister Mayawati stating there was
threat to the MLA`s life. "We have sought adequate security and proper action on our complaint," Singh
said. (TOI, 17/01/2011)
5-year-old girl raped in Malwani
MUMBAI: The police have registered a case of rape and sodomy after the parents of a five-year-old girl
from Malwani complained that she had been sexually assaulted. According to the police, the victim, was
playing outside her house with her pet dog on Sunday, when a stranger approached her. Police officials
are awaiting the girl's medical report and "The man took her along with him, sexually assaulted her and
subsequently abandoned her by the roadside where she was found weeping by a passerby. Her parents
were informed and she was rushed to a local hospital around 2.45 am on Monday," a police officer said.
"We are probing if the accused is a resident of the same area and have questioned a few suspects. The
girl is too young and hasn't been able to tell us what exactly happened. Her medical reports are awaited,"
the police officer added. (TOI, 18/01/2011)
Strip wife beater diplomat of his increments: Tirath
Seeking strong action against senior London-based diplomat Anil Verma, accused of assaulting his wife,
Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said the government should stop the increments
of such high-ranking officials who abuse their positions. "Strong action should be taken against such
officials and their increments should be stopped," Tirath said on the sidelines of a function. Verma, a
1986-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre and third-ranked diplomat in the Indian High
Commission in United Kingdom, found himself in trouble when his wife covered in blood was found
screaming by neighbours on December 11. When the police arrived, 45-year-old Verma, Minister
(Economic) in the Indian mission, claimed diplomatic immunity and escaped action. Tirath also termed the
action of a khap panchayat banning girls from wearing jeans as "unconstitutional". (IE, 18/01/2011)
Ex-CRPF commandant held for allegedly raping niece
NEW DELHI: A former CRPF commandant has been arrested by the police in Baba Haridas Nagar
Colony, Najafgarh late on Monday night for allegedly confining and raping his 20-year-old niece. The 41year-old accused, who is a property dealer now, allegedly confined the girl at his residence for four days
and repeatedly raped her. The accused, identified as Sultan Singh, had married thrice earlier. The police
said that two of his wives left him while the third died recently. According to DCP (southwest) Sharad
Aggarwal, the accused had called the victim from her residence in Gurgaon, claiming he wanted to
celebrate birthday of his eldest daughter, aged nine, who is mentally challenged. The accused has
another daughter aged seven. "Feeling pity for the girl, the victim came to Singh's residence in Gopal
Nagar on January 7. But she found house empty and there was no sign of any planned party. When the
victim - a mother of a two-year-old girl - confronted Singh, he said there was no need to worry. He told her
that he just wanted his children to spend quality time with her," said Aggarwal. Police said that the victim
went to sleep along with the two children in their room. "The accused forced himself on her and allegedly
raped her in night. He also took away her mobile phone. The torture continued for four nights before the
victim's husband managed to contact her on the landline on January 13. She asked her husband to come
and pick her up. The woman, who was in severe trauma, recounted her ordeal to her husband on January
14. The couple approached police on Sunday. Singh tried to flee but we managed to catch him," said
DCP Aggarwal. In 2010, the city had witnessed a sharp increase in rape and molestation cases. There
were 489 rape incidents as against 459 in 2009. The figure for 2006 was 609, 581 for 2007 and 466 for
2008. Molestation cases in the capital too showed an increase in 2010. As compared to 532 cases in
2009, last year 585 molestation cases were reported. While 2008 had witnessed 597 cases, there were
835 such incidents in 2007. The rape per lakh population also increased to 2.8 from 2009's 2.65. The
figure was 4.16 in 2005 and 3.82 in 2006, the highest in the last decade. Among the people arrested for
rape in 2010, 52 were relatives, 65 friends, 222 neighbours and 130 other known persons. In only 20
cases, rapes were committed by strangers. In molestation cases, neighbours were accused in 42% cases
while 4% were friends and 6% relatives. (TOI, 19/01/201)
3 Indians held for raping 4-year-old girl
The Dubai police have arrested three Indians for allegedly raping a four-year-old Indian girl on a school
bus. They will face death if found guilty. A driver, who was accused of sexually assaulting the girl before
dropping her off at her home, allegedly lured her to the back seat by offering her chocolate. Two others,
both employees of the school, are also in police custody. According to the public prosecution, the three
men abused the girl while she was asleep on the bus. The police said the suspects confessed to the
crime. — PTI (Hindu, 20/01/2011)
Woman found hanging at in-laws' place, probe ordered
A 26-year-old woman was found hanging under mysterious circumstances at her in-laws’ residence in
Ranjeet Nagar area of Central Delhi with the police suspecting it a case of dowry death. While her in-laws
have claimed that she has committed suicide, her parents have alleged that she took the extreme step
because of dowry harassment. The police have registered a case and have ordered SDM-level probe into
the matter. Police officials said that the deceased, identified as Harpreet Kaur, was found hanging in her
bedroom by her husband, Gurudev Singh (28) who in turn informed the police about the incident. Kaur
was taken to Metro Hospital in Ranjeet Nagar where the doctors pronounced her brought dead, a senior
police official said. “Manjeet Singh, father of the deceased has alleged that Kaur was very stressed and in
depression because the in-laws used to harass and torture her for dowry. Gurudev had made demands
for a car and Rs 2.5 lakh cash as dowry. A few months back Gurudev had assaulted the deceased and
had even asked her to leave the house after her parents told him that they won’t be able to meet his
demands,” said the senior official adding no suicide note was recovered from her possession. The police
said the deceased was married to Singh four years back. Singh, who reportedly works in a multi-national
company in Gurgaon, has told the police that she was depressed over her failing health. The couple has a
two-and-a-half years old son. The police have sent the body for a post-mortem examination to Metro
hospital and a case has been registered. (Pioneer, 20/01/2011)
Teacher arrested for molesting nine-year-old girl
A private school teacher was today arrested for allegedly outraging the modesty of a third standard girl
student of the same school at Nizampet here, police said. The accused Antony Xavier, who works as a
science teacher in the school, allegedly lured the nine-year-old girl to his room (located near the school)
yesterday and allegedly kissed and touched her private parts, they said. The victim complained to her
mother of pain in her private parts this morning, a police officer said quoting a complaint lodged by the
girl's parents with the Kukatpally Police here. Earlier, angered over the incident, the girl's father along with
locals went to the school and held a demonstration demanding suspension of the teacher. They also
"manhandled" the teacher and later handed him over to the police. "Following the complaint, we
registered a case of outrage of modesty against Xavier and arrested him," the police officer said. Further
investigations were on. (Deccan herald, 20/01/2011)
Row over X-mas tree "provoked" diplomat, says Indian mission
The Indian High Commission here has issued a blow-by-blow account on the alleged wife-bashing by its
senior diplomat Anil Verma, who has been transfered back to India, saying the incident was ''provoked''
by a row over a Christmas tree gift. Taking a tough stand on domestic violence, the mission in a
statement here said, "there is no question of condoning domestic violence which is totally unacceptable.
Once the officer returns to India, the matter will be thoroughly investigated and acted upon appropriately."
Noting that the Ministry of External Affairs has taken a serious view in the matter, it said, "the laws of the
land would take care of any acts that need to be taken care of, consequent to the inquiry." Verma, a
senior IAS officer of West Bengal cadre, joined the High Commission here as Minister (Economic),
ranking number three in the mission, on August 24, 2009. Narrating the sequence of events, the five-page
statement said, "apparently, the incident was provoked by a gift (a Christmas tree) made by Verma's aunt
(her mother's sister who is married to Robert Chase and lives near their house) to their son. "This was
objected to by Verma and led to an altercation." According to the statement, Verma had offered to buy a
Christmas tree for their son. However, Verma's wife Paromita had said that since they already had a tree
from the previous year, they did not need to buy one. Subsequently, when a Christmas tree was gifted by
Mrs Chase, Verma said that he felt humiliated. He wanted to remove the tree from the house. When he
went upstairs to do this, Paromita followed him and tried to prevent him from doing so. In the scuffle that
followed, she was injured. According to Verma, "Mrs Verma was hit on the face when he was trying to
remove the Christmas tree from the house and she was trying to forcibly prevent him from doing so.
According to Mrs Verma, she was slapped. This resulted in bleeding from her nose due to damage to
tissues in the nose. "Mrs Verma ran out of her house and her neighbours called the police and an
ambulance. The police recorded Mrs Verma's statement (which was also signed by her) after which Mrs
Verma was taken by the ambulance to the Hospital and returned to her residence the same day." The
High Commission officials visited Verma's residence on December 13, 2010, to enquire about the incident
and Mrs Verma's welfare. At no point was Mrs Verma berated or threatened by the High Commission
officials, the statement said. Mrs Verma, while expressing dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in her
marriage, said that her continued stay in the UK was important from the point of view of treatment of her
younger son (who was at that time bed-ridden and was being tutored at home by a visiting teacher). She
requested that "Verma should be firmly spoken to and should be advised to go in for counselling. Mrs
Verma also indicated that she would like to sort out matters with her husband and would also go with him
for counselling. "Verma was spoken to in appropriate terms and told that the use of force was totally
unacceptable and that under no circumstances or provocation should this recur. Were this to happen
again, it would be untenable. "In his response, Verma said that this was the first time such an incident had
happened and he promised that it would not recur. He also agreed to go for counselling along with Mrs
Verma. "Both Mr and Mrs Verma were suitably told that as diplomats, they were expected to conduct
themselves with dignity and decorum. The High Commission's concerns over such incidents
notwithstanding, the differences between Mr and Mrs Verma would basically have to be sorted out by the
two themselves." In the circumstances, it was decided that the couple be given a chance to amicably sort
out their differences. According to the statement, "On January 3, 2011, Verma formally informed the High
Commission that he was being subjected to harassment and tension by his wife, mother-in-law and Mr
and Mrs Chase. He was also being repeatedly taunted that he was a "criminal". On account of this,
Verma said that he was finding it difficult to live at his official residence as he was afraid that another
incident might take place and he wanted to move out at the earliest. High Commission officials visited
Verma's residence in the evening of January 3, 2011. In the evening of January 3, 2011, Verma moved
out of his official residence into a hotel. His wife and other members of the family continued to stay at the
official residence. On January 5, 2011, Verma informed the High Commission that his wife and other
members of the family were no longer contactable at his official residence and that Mrs Verma was not
responding to his telephone calls. The High Commission also tried to establish contact with Mrs Verma
but without success. As Verma did not have the keys to his house and he needed to access it, he went to
his residence on January 6, 2011, along with a High Commission official, to get the locks changed. At the
request of the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the High Commission officials met officials
of the Protocol Directorate of the FCO on January 10, 2011. The High Commission officials emphasised
that the incident was unfortunate and that the High Commission was taking appropriate steps in its wake.
On January 13, 2011, FCO wrote to the High Commission requesting for waiver of Verma's diplomatic
immunity. The note further stated that failure to waive Verma's immunity will result in an immediate
request for Verma and his dependents to be withdrawn from the UK. On January 17, 2011, the High
Commission informed the FCO through a Note Verbale that a decision has been taken by the
Government of India to transfer Anil Verma and his family to India. (Deccan Herald, 20/01/2011)
Mother murders kids, commits suicide
BANGALORE: Salamma killed her two little children, Anand, 3, and Rakshita, 5, by giving them poison
and then allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her Hongasandra house in Madiwala police
station limits. Police suspect the incident took place between 8am and 9am, after her husband
Munivenkataswamy and sister Lakshmi left for work. Salamma was widowed at a young age and moved
to her sister Lakshmi's house in Hongasandra about six years ago. Lakshmi married Munivenkataswamy,
a bar bender on construction sites. Lakshmi was a flower vendor and the couple had five girls. Salamma
and Munivenkatappa had an affair and after Rakshita was born, he married her. Three years ago, Anand
was born. When Lakshmi got to know about the affair, Lakshmi and Salamma frequently quarrelled.
Neighbours said earlier Munivenkataswamy would have drink or two regularly, but quit the habit recently.
He'd look after the family well and make peace between the squabbling sisters. On Wednesday,
Munivenkataswamy left for work around 5am and around 7am, Lakshmi too left home to sell flowers.
Later, her children went to school. Around noon, Lakshmi returned home and knocked on the door but
there was no reply. She called neighbours, who peeped through the window and found Salamma hanging
inside and the children lying on the floor. Police broke open the door and found that she had given
children food laced with poison. (TOI, 20/01/2011)
Banda rape case: wife defends jailed MLA
Asha Dwivedi, wife of rape accused Bahujan Samaj Party MLA Purshottam Naresh Dwivedi, has come
out in defence of her jailed husband, stating that “he lacked the physical prowess to indulge in a heinous
crime like rape.” Ms. Dwivedi said in a written statement that since “she is his wife she can say this with
conviction.” She termed the MLA's arrest a “conspiracy by the Opposition parties” and threatened to
commit suicide if justice is not delivered to her family. She, however, said she had full faith in the Uttar
Pradesh Chief Minister and that justice would be delivered once Ms. Mayawati came to know about the
“actual facts,” and how the conspiracy was hatched by the Opposition parties to defame the government.
The MLA from Naraini (Banda district) had said before his arrest that he suffered from diabetes and blood
pressure and was ready for medical examination. Reiterating what he said, Ms. Dwivedi, flanked by their
son Mayank Dwivedi, said that for the last 18 years her husband suffered from diabetes and blood
pressure. In the statement that was recorded in the Banda jail, she said the alleged rape victim did not
say anything against the MLA. Talking to journalists at the MLA's official residence here on Thursday, Ms.
Dwivedi demanded that a medical examination and DNA test be conducted on her husband. She said the
alleged rape victim was not a person of good character. This could be confirmed from the “people of
Shahbazpur, Harnampur, Lachhapurwa and Khaura Chowki villages [in Banda district],” she added.Ms.
Dwivedi claimed that the girl's medical examination did not show any evidence of rape and physical
assault. She even defended the girl's arrest, saying that person had decamped with the MLA's mobile
phone and cash. The girl's arrest in Turra village on December 14 was witnessed by about “500 persons,”
she said. (Hindu, 21/01/2011)
Refer Banda rape case to fast track court: U.P.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday moved the Chief Judicial Magistrate's court, Banda, for
referring the rape case, allegedly involving a BSP MLA, to a fast track court. Making this announcement,
Chief Minister Mayawati said the Crime Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department, which was
probing the rape of the minor girl, also filed its charge sheet in the Banda court. Dismissing the Opposition
attack as a conspiracy to defame her government and recounting the action taken in the case, the Chief
Minister told a press conference here that she had ordered the arrest of the MLA, Purshottam Naresh
Dwivedi, and three others on receipt of the CB-CID's preliminary report. The release of the girl was
ordered on January 15 as, according to the CB-CID report, she had been falsely implicated in a theft case
and sent to the Banda jail. Besides, Ms. Mayawati said, she directed the Principal Secretary (Home) to
ensure the girl's security. Subsequently, Atarra police station (in Banda) Circle Officer Rajendra Yadav,
Station House Officer Radhey Shyam Shukla, inspector Abdul Jabbar, Banda ASP Lala Ram and jailor
Gyan Prakash were suspended and departmental action was initiated. Assailing the Congress, Ms.
Mayawati asked why it was silent on the gang-rapes in Delhi and other atrocities on women in Haryana.
Compared to Delhi, the ratio of crime against women was low in Uttar Pradesh. It was during the
Congress rule that Phoolan Devi was compelled to take the law into her own hands following the
excesses committed by feudal elements. Phoolan Devi, who later became an MP, was killed in Delhi
during the NDA rule. Ms. Mayawati asked why the Opposition was silent on the 1995 tandoor case, the
1999 Jessica Lal murder case, the 1990 case of molestation of a 14-year-old girl by the then Haryana
Inspector-General, S.P.S. Rathore, and the 1996 Priyadarshini Mattoo case in New Delhi. (Hindu,
21/01/2011)
Tribal girl gang raped in Jharsuguda
A tribal girl of Reamal block of Deogarh district was gang raped at Bamra railway station in between
Jharsuguda and Rourkela on Wednesday night. The girl including 10 of her relatives and family members
were waiting for a train to go to Chakradharpur in Jharkhand. As per information, the family was going to
Chakradharpur as they work there as daily labourers. They reached the Bamra station in the evening but
failed to board the first train. They had no other option than to wait for another train. But few youths, five in
number, who saw the family, took the advanced of their newness to the place and getting advantage of
night they first attacked the family members brutally to frighten them. Then they dragged the girl (16) to a
secluded place and gang raped her. As the family had no idea of the place they couldn’t do anything.
Even they couldn’t go the nearby police station to inform the police. However, on Thursday morning they
informed the matter to some locals and with their help they found the girl in a dilapidated house away
from the railway station. The girl was totally in unconscious condition and was not able to speak anything.
She had been admitted to the Jharsuguda hospital where her condition is improving, the railway police
sources said. “Investigations are on to nab the culprits,” DSP of Jharsuguda police Manoj Mahanta
informed. (Pioneer, 21/01/2011)
Another BSP MLA lands in controversy
Another Bahujan Samaj Party MLA in Uttar Pradesh is facing the heat — for allegedly shielding a school
principal who is accused of raping a woman in the presence of her husband in Etawah district. Like in the
Banda case, here too the alleged rape victim is languishing in the Etawah jail along with four others on
the charge of provoking her husband to commit suicide. The alleged rape victim submitted a petition in
the court on January 18. However, before the case, listed in the court of the Additional Chief Judicial
Magistrate in Etawah, could come up for hearing on January 29, Bhartana MLA Shiv Prasad Yadav and
the principal were given a clean chit by the State government on Sunday. According to the police, the
principal was not in town on December 16 last, the day the alleged rape was committed. The MLA has
also denied the charge. The deceased and the principal were said to be close friends. The former was a
computer teacher in the school owned by the BSP MLA. According to Special DG (Law and Order) Brij
Lal, the woman said the principal used to frequent her in-law's house and make passes at her. On
December 16, she said, her husband and the principal consumed liquor and the latter subsequently raped
her with the consent of her husband. Why and how the husband consumed “sulfas” leading to his death
on December 21 was not explained by the officer. The woman has accused the BSP MLA of shielding the
principal and pressuring the police to lodge a case against her and her relatives on December 21. Mr. Lal
told reporters that going by the principal's phone call details and information gathered from the mobile
phone tower, his location on December 16, 17 and 18 was found to be about 17 km away from the place
the alleged rape took place. On January 18, a petition was filed in the court by the woman's father, which
said his daughter had complained that the principal held her hand. “The versions of the father and
daughter are contradictory,” Mr. Lal said. A probe by ASP, Etawah, has been ordered into the case.
(Hindu, 24/01/2011)
Can women be tried under 2005 Act for domestic violence?
There is a problem women have with the law enacted to protect women from domestic violence. The
Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 was meant to make women safe at home by
empowering them to prosecute their husband and other male members of the family for any act of
violence. But with increasing complaints being filed against female relatives in the family, the Supreme
Court has decided to examine whether the law could be applied against women as well. A Bench of
Justices HS Bedi and CK Prasad, while throwing open this question to debate, issued notice on a petition
filed by a Government school teacher in Haryana. The petitioner Renu was roped in as an accused by her
sister-in-law Sarika under the Domestic Violence Act. Renu got married in year 2000 while Sarika came
into the matrimonial home six years later. The case against Renu was filed in 2009. In her petition filed
through advocate Alok Sangwan, Renu has raised the question how the law to protect women could be
used against them. Unlike the Dowry Prohibition Act or the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 498A
(cruelty by husband or relatives of husband) and 304B (dowry death) which are gender-neutral, this is not
the case with the 2005 Act. In the Act itself, the distinction is clear, she said. According to Section 2(q) of
the 2005 Act, respondent against whom an action can be brought under the Act means “any adult male
person who is, or has been, in a domestic relationship with the aggrieved person.” An aggrieved person in
this case refers to “any woman who is, or has been, in a domestic relationship with the respondent.” The
petition has raised another interesting point of defence. Since the law seeks to punish any act of domestic
violence alone, Renu maintained that she permanently stays away from her brother and sister-in-law
(Sarika), separated by a distance of about 100 kilometres. Sensing misuse of the law, the apex court
stayed criminal proceedings against Renu for the time being. The court further noticed that on the same
question posed before it, several High Courts gave contradictory judgments. A recent Delhi High Court
decision held prosecution against female relatives under the Act to be correct. It relied on the proviso to
Section 2(q) of the Act, which said: “An aggrieved wife or female living in a relationship in the nature of
marriage may also file a complaint against a relative of the husband or the male partner.” Noting that a
relative of husband would not be limited by gender distinction, the Delhi HC concluded such an
interpretation alone served the purpose under the Act. At the same time, single bench of the Madras High
Court and Madhya Pradesh High Court have given a conflicting view. They have held that the Domestic
Violence Act could not be applied against women. Amid the prevailing confusion, the Supreme Court will
have to hold the law to be fair to the fair sex on both sides of the divide. (Pioneer, 24/01/2011)
2,500 women killed on charges of practicing witchcraft
Large number of women have been tortured, subjected to all kind of inhuman harassment and killed after
they were branded witch in Jharkhand. Contrary to official data, recent studies by various NGOs and
other organisations have revealed that over 2,500 women have been killed in the past 15 years after
being accused of practicing witchcraft across the State. Five women were stripped and paraded naked
last year in Patharghatia village in Deodhar district of Jharkhand. In yet another incident, a 40-year-old
woman was lynched allegedly by her women neighbours at Sikariatand village in Simdega district of
Jharkhand. Punam Sinha, a social worker, said that about 900 women till now have branded witch and
have been killed in the State. This heinous incident is not new for our country. According to the National
Crime Bureau statistics, nearly 200 to 150 women are killed every year in India after being tagged as
‘witches’. Jharkhand is not the only State where women are facing barbaric attacks in the name of
witchcraft. Such incidents are common in Odisha, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. Jharkhand
tops the list with 50-60 witchcraft-related murders every year followed by Andhra Pradesh where the
number is around 30, Haryana 25-30 and Odisha 24-28, sources informed. According to Free Legal Aid
Committee (FLAC), a non-government Organisation, nearly 922 women have been killed in the State
since 1991. “There is no black magic. If a woman is branded witch then she should have special powers.
In that case she should not protest when the villagers beat her brutally but harm or kill them. If the witch
has so much power then why doesn’t the Government use them against enemies” says one of the scripts
of the nukkad nataks played by the women who were once branded witches and tortured. To prevent the
witchcraft killing, Witchcraft Prevention Act 1999 was formulated during undivided Bihar, which was
adopted by the Jharkhand Government in 2001. “Law is not sufficient to curb the witchcraft cases. The
real culprits are Ojhas and they move scot-free. There is only two years imprisonment provision for the
Ojhas who are real instigators behind every case. If the officials figures are taken into consideration it
indicates that the killing of women after branded witchcraft is going on despite law formulation. According
to official figures, 189 women were killed between 2001 and 2006. Witchcraft is a social and economic
related issue. “There are scores of reasons behind a women being branded witch. Besides black magic,
property dispute is one of the main reasons. Many women are being killed over property dispute. We
need a stringent law not to punish the perpetrators but also to the instigators. If a kind of fear is created
among instigators and perpetrators the number of incidents could go down” told Punam. “We need to
improve health and educational facilities in the remote villages. In many cases women are branded witch
if a neighbour falls ill or dies due to some disease. Better health facilities clear such confusions”, she
added. There is also need to address the economy of Ojhas. Ojhas practice should be banned and they
should be involved in other economic activities, said Punam. “We act when we get information. The
important point is that this is a social issue and only awareness can end the problem”, said senior police
officials. (Pioneer, 24/01/2011)
Alarming increase in incest rape cases
In a startling finding, the latest crime data released by government shows there has been over 30 per
cent increase in incest rape cases in 2009 over the previous year. Cases of incest rape have "increased
by 30.7 per cent from 309 cases in 2008 to 404 cases in 2009", said the 'Crime in India-2009' report
released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). Also out of total rape cases of 21,397, 94.9 per
cent involved offenders who were known to the victims. According to the statistics, Chhattisgarh topped
the list with most number of incest cases. The state recorded 107 such cases in 2009, accounting for the
highest or 26.5 per cent of the total such cases reported in the country. Maharashtra came second with
77 such reported incidents, followed by Rajasthan (36), Jharkhand (22), Gujarat (18), Haryana (12) and
Himachal Pradesh (10). Delhi bagged the dubious record of being the only union territory where such
crimes were reported that year. A total of 19 such cases reported in the national capital in 2009. Of the
total 404 such crimes, 182 were committed against victims aged 18-30 years. In the age group of 14-18
years, there were 95 victims, while the figure was 56 among the age-group of 10-14 years and 24 among
those aged below 10 years. The country witnessed 21,397 rape incidents that involved 21,413 victims. Of
them 2,470, or 11.5 per cent were girls under 15 years of age while 2,912 or 15.6 per cent were teenaged
girls belonging to the age group of 15-18 years. A total of 12,812, or 59.8 per cent were women in the
age-group of 18-30 years, while 3,124 (14.6 per cent) victims were in the age-group of 30-50 years,
revealed the report. Shockingly, in 94.9 per cent, or 20,311, cases the offenders were known to the
victims. Parents or close family members were involved in 2.0 per cent (404 out of 20,311) of these
cases, while neighbours were involved in 35.1 per cent (7,129) cases and in 7.3 per cent or 1,482 cases,
the culprits were relatives, said the report. Among the states, Madhya Pradesh reported the highest
number of rape cases (2,998), accounting for 14 per cent of all such cases reported in the country. And
among 35 mega cities, Delhi city reported 23.8 per cent (404 out of 1,696) of total rape cases in 2009.
This means one in every four rapes occurred in the national capital, according to the NCRB figures.
Besides Delhi, the other cities which reported a large number of rape incidents are Mumbai (182), Bhopal
(117), Jabalpur (76), Jaipur (69) and Pune (67). (IE, 23/01/2011)
One in four women arrested for dowry-related crimes
One in every four women arrested in India go behind the bar for harassing their ilk for dowry and even
leading the victim to death. Out of the 1,79,294 women arrested in 2009, the National Crime Records
Bureau said, 25.95 per cent were apprehended under heads of dowry deaths and cruelty by husband and
relatives. According to the 'Crime in India' report, 41,351 women were arrested in 2009 under Section
498A of IPC (cruelty by husband and relatives) while 5,182 went behind bars for dowry deaths (Sec
304B). A total of 1,74,395 persons were arrested under Section 498A while the figure for arrest under
Section 340B was 23,374. Interestingly, the largest group of arrested women comes from the age group
of 30-45 years. While 15,137 women in the age bracket of 30-45 years were arrested on charges of
cruelty, 12,996 belonged to 18-30 years, 10,743 from 45-60 years and 2,290 were in the bracket of above
60 years. Similarly, the figures for dowry deaths in these age-groups were 1896, 1751, 1295 and 184
respectively. "185 girls below the age of 18 years were arrested on under Section 498A while 56 were
arrested for dowry deaths," the report said. The largest number of women arrested for various crimes
were from Maharashtra (28,818 women) followed by Tamil Nadu (17,065), Madhya Pradesh (16,344),
Andhra Pradesh (16,203) and Gujarat (13,938). In the national capital, 1,110 women (3.1 per cent) were
arrested for their involvement in crimes while the number of men were 35,153. A total of 28.49 lakh
people were arrested and only 6.3 per cent of them were women, the report said. According to the report,
4,007 women, including 84 girls under 18 years, were arrested on charges of murder while 2,748 were
apprehended for attempt to murder. (IE, 24/01/2011)
Housewife burnt alive for dowry
HYDERABAD: A 25-year-old housewife, T Rani, was burnt alive allegedly by her husband and in-laws for
additional dowry at her house in Jeedimetla on Monday. According to Jeedimetla police, Rani had
married T Balaraju, a casual worker with BHEL, five years ago. Rani's parents reportedly gave nine tolas
of gold and a two-wheeler as dowry at the time of the marriage. Balaraju's family members T Narsamma
and Mallaiah were harassing Rani for additional dowry and this led to quarrels between the couple. As a
result, Rani had been staying with her parents for some time, Jeedimetla inspector A Sanjeeva Rao said.
On Monday at around 8.30 am, she along with her two children returned to her in-laws house. Locals
informed the police that a burnt body was lying in the house of Balaraju. Rani was badly burnt and died
on spot. She might have been set ablaze between 9 am and 12 noon, the inspector said. Rani's father D
Balaraju lodged a complaint with the police stating that his daughter's in-laws were responsible for her
death. He told police that the in-laws used to harass his daughter for additional dowry and it was for this
reason Rani was staying with them. He claimed that they convinced Rani to return to her husband's
house, assuring her that they would settle the matter soon. "We suspect the role of Rani's husband and
her in-laws, who are absconding, in the murder," the inspector added. Police registered a case under
section 304 (murder) against them. (TOI, 25/01/2011)
For marrying a Dalit, man slits daughter's throat in police station
CHENNAI: A man was arrested for slitting the throat of his daughter at the Red Hills police station on
Monday. He was called to the police station after his daughter, who eloped with a Dalit, requested
protection as her family was against the marriage. S Ezhumalai arrived at the police station with a knife
hidden in his trousers and caught everyone by surprise by attacking Kalaivani, his daughter. Kalaivani,
who married P Joshua a week ago, is battling for life at a private hospital. A magistrate court sent
Ezhumalai to 15-day custody in the Ponneri sub jail. Following a complaint by Joshua and Kalaivani that
they feared for their lives as her family was against their marriage, Red Hills police inspector K Kumaran
called Ezhumalai for talks. "Ezhumalai, a real estate businessman, came to the station dressed in a pair
of trousers and shirt. As soon as he entered, he walked towards Kalaivani, pulled out a knife from his
pocket and slit her throat," Kumaran said. Kalaivani, an undergraduate student, fled home on January 21
to get married to Joshua in a city church. She had met Joshua, an employee of a private firm in Ambattur,
some 18 months ago through a common friend. Fearing opposition, she did not disclose her relationship
to her family and registered her marriage at the sub-registrar's office in Egmore last week. (TOI,
25/01/2011)
NAC suggests inclusion of domestic workers in Sexual Harassment Bill
NAC suggests expanding the definition of the workplace to include homes, the workplace of domestic
workers The Sonia Gandhi-led National Advisory Council (NAC) has written to the government,
suggesting some major amendments to the Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at
Workplace Bill, 2010, ahead of a conference of State Ministers for women and child development, to be
chaired by Union Minister Krishna Tirath here on Friday. The conference agenda includes, among a host
of issues, a look at this key piece of legislation. The NAC, at its meeting on January 10, discussed the
draft law exhaustively and made three key recommendations — expansion of the definition of the
workplace to include homes, the workplace of domestic workers; deletion of Clause 14 (punishment for
false or malicious complaint and false evidence), which might deter victims from seeking protection of the
proposed legislation; and inclusion in the proposed legislation, clear guidelines to district officers to
constitute and ensure the functioning of local complaints committee for those situations or small
institutions where no internal complaints committee can be constituted. On January 14, the NAC
forwarded its recommendations to the government. Later, an NAC member explained that if the Bill was
really intended “to promote gender equality and justice and the universally recognised human right to
work with dignity,” it was of paramount importance to widen the scope of the Bill to include domestic
workers. “In Mumbai, not so long ago,” the member pointed out, “a well-known male actor had been
accused by his domestic help of rape. But eventually the case was dropped under pressure. It is precisely
for this sort of case that such a law is required.” In its letter to the government, the NAC pointed out that
most “domestic workers are poor, illiterate, unskilled and come from vulnerable communities and
backward areas. They are underpaid and ill-treated, as domestic work is undervalued and poorly
regulated. Their workplace, being the confines of private homes, domestic workers, especially live-in
workers, are prone to sexual harassment and abuse, without access to any complaint mechanism or
remedial measures.” The removal of Clause 14, NAC sources said, was equally important to ensure that
women felt free to make complaints of sexual harassment: only too often, witnesses vanished and it was
difficult then to prove the case. If Clause 14 is included, it will ensure that very few women will come
forward to make a complaint, these sources added. The Bill, that was introduced in the Lok Sabha on
December 7, 2010, is likely to come up in the forthcoming budget session of Parliament. (Hindu,
28/01/2011)
‘Exploited’ teacher immolates herself
A 32-year-old teacher of St Xavier’s School in Saraimeer at Azamgarh immolated herself after being
sexually exploited by the school owner. The victim took the tragic step after the accused threatened to
shut her mouth otherwise he would get her son eliminated. As the victim ended her life at Shahpur locality
of Jaunpur so the local police registered a case in this regard. SP Jaunpur, SK Bhagat and other senior
officers also visited the spot and got the dying declaration of the victim recorded before a local magistrate.
The State Government also claimed to have taken the matter seriously and directed for stern action
against the accused. However the school owner was not arrested so far. Reports said that Sameena
Akhtar took job as teacher in St Xavier’s School at Shahganj in Jaunpur soon after the death of her
husband Mohamed Aseem in 2008. She was also having a son. The owner-cum-director of the school,
Randhir Thakur provided Sameena Akhtar a rented house at Shahganj in Jaunpur. In her dying
declaration Sameena disclosed that Randhir Thakur lured her of a better life and developed illicit relations
and later sexually exploited her. She said that when she learnt that Randhir was having similar relation
with some other teachers and girls, she raised objection after which he transferred her to another branch
of the school in Azamgarh. Sameena further claimed that when she asked Randhir either to end his
relations with other women or she will expose him, he threatened her with dire consequences and even
said that he will kill her son if she made any such move. She said that fearing threat to her son’s life she
finally decided to end her own life hence she wrote a suicide note and set herself on fire at her residence
in Jaunpur on Wednesday afternoon. Sameena who was found in a critical state and admitted in a local
hospital at Jaunpur was later shifted to Medical College in Allahabad but she succumbed to her injuries
on Thursday morning. The case was now investigated by station house officer of Shahganj police station,
Purnmasi Kanujiya. (Pioneer, 28/01/2011)
Schoolgirl gang-raped after R-Day function
A fifth standard student was allegedly gang-raped by her seniors when she was returning home after
participating in the Republic Day parade in Ferozabad district, about 320 km from here on Wednesday.
Feeling humiliated after being molested, the girl set herself afire at her home in the wee hours and
suffered serious burn injuries. She is battling for her life in a hospital, police said on Thursday. The girl
who was returning home after attending the Republic Day function at her school was waylaid by the
alleged culprits who are students of ninth standard in the same school. They dragged her to nearby fields
and molested her, police said. According to the shocked family members, the girl did not say anything to
them about the incident until they were woken up by her screams in the wee house after she set herself
afire in her room. They broke open the gate and took her to the hospital, where her condition was stated
to be critical. She told them that she had taken the extreme step as she was humiliated. A case has been
registered against the two boys who are absconding since the incident. (Deccan Herald, 28/01/2011)
Abandoned by children, old woman seeks to be buried alive
In a shocking incident, an old woman who was abandoned by her daughters after taking away her
property, approached authorities in Andhra Pradesh pleading that she be buried alive. Devudamma, who
claims to be a freedom fighter, moved a petition before Visakhapatnam district collector, urging him to
bury her alive. The 110-year-old woman, a resident of PS Pet in Chodavaram mandal of Visakhapatnam
district in coastal Andhra, told the collector that she wanted to die as her own children have abandoned
her and that there was nobody to take care of her.he alleged that her two daughters took whatever
property she had in her name, physically tortured her and stopped looking after her.Moved by her plight,
Good Samaritans in Visakhapatnam have come forward to help her. Neelam Sharada Devi, a physician,
Thursday conducted some medical tests on the ailing woman and started treatment. The doctor told
reporters that she would take care of her and provide medical and other required assistance with the help
of some other citizens. (Deccan Herald, 28/01/2011)
Zero tolerance for sexual misconduct, Rao tells diplomats
NEW DELHI: Foreign secretary Nirupama Rao has written to all heads of missions stating government's
position of "zero tolerance" for incidents of sexual misconduct and domestic violence. The statement
comes in the wake of the recent incidents of two Indian diplomats, Anil Verma and Alok Ranjan Jha, who
were called from the UK and UN respectively, following their alleged involvement in domestic violence
and sexual misconduct incidents. Sources said Rao has written to all the heads of Indian missions, where
she has talked about the position of the ministry, which she said will deal with incidents of sexual
misconduct and domestic violence with zero tolerance and will take punitive measures against offending
officials. Any incidents of this kind involving any official will necessitate immediate recall of the officer and
his dependents, Rao said in her message. While Verma, serving at the Indian mission at London was
recalled after being accused of assaulting his wife, Jha posted at the permanent mission of India at UN,
was called back to headquarters for allegedly misbehaving with a female co-passenger on a New Yorkbound Air India flight. (TOI, 31/01/2011)
ASHAs to be trained for safe delivery in remote areas
Acknowledging that institutional deliveries are yet to become a reality in the country’s inaccessible remote
areas, the Government has decided to train Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to undertake
home-based deliveries in villages. “We have found that despite all our efforts, institutional deliveries are
not happening in the rural areas particularly those which are inaccessible due to lack of infrastructure or
inadequate transport facility. Till then, the deliveries at home will remain in existence,” Union Health
Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said. “Hence, we have decided to send ASHAs in such areas to ensure that
deliveries happen under their safe hands,” he told a group of reporters here. In this context, ASHAs are
being trained to provide care to the newborn besides looking after pre and post-natal care for women.
There are over 7.50 lakh ASHAs in the villages encouraging deliveries in institutions under Janani
Suraksha Yojna (JSY). The premier British medical journal The Lancet in its latest issue on Indian series
too has stressed that the ASHAs need to be deployed in other key activities of reproductive and child
health in households and communities. It has also observed that in 2007-08 only 46 per cent of subcentres had labour rooms, 27.9 per cent of primary health centres had neonatal equipment and only 18.7
per cent of community health centres offered caesarean sections. Besides plans to recruit ASHAs for
home-based deliveries, the Government has also initiated a slew of other measures to improve key health
indicators such as maternal mortality ratio (MMR), infant mortality ratio (IMR) and Total Fertility Ratio
which according to the Minister has not shown progress as was expected. “We have not got the desired
result of the key health indicators under the National Rural Health Mission in around nine States
particularly from northern India,” the Minister said. To focus on the poor performing States, from April this
year, data on MMR and IMR will start coming district wise from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam,
Rajasthan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand. The Government has identified 254
districts in these States to concentrate on monitoring, deployment of medicines and human resources,
Azad added. (Pioneer, 01/02/2011)
Safdarjung turns away pregnant woman
A delay apparently on the part of the Safdarjung Hospital in admitting a 25-year-old pregnant woman
forced her to give birth to a baby girl at the entrance gate of the hospital on Monday noon. The woman
and her baby were admitted in the hospital only after the Safdarjung Enclave police of South district
intervened in the matter. According to a senior police official, the incident came to their notice at 12.15 pm
only after the Police Control Room (PCR) received a call made by a bystander, regarding the matter. The
baby girl was said to be doing fine at the hospital while the mother’s condition was not so well. When
contacted NK Mohanty, Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital, said that he would be able to say
anything only after getting the detailed report of the case. Even the public relation officer (PRO) of the
hospital SN Makwana was caught unawares about the matter and said that he had no idea that any such
incident had taken place at the hospital. Police officials said that the woman, identified as Nasreen
Parveen, a resident of house number-105, Okhla village, had come to the hospital with her husband,
Vakil, for delivery after being denied admission by a private hospital as they did not have enough money
to bear the medical expenses. “Vakil told us that his wife was already in labour and in excruciating pain
when he brought her to the Safdarjung Hospital in an autorickshaw. He was alone and took some time to
locate the maternity ward and requested the security guards there to allow him to admit his wife. The
woman delivered the child at gate number-4 of the hospital as soon as she alighted from the autorickshaw
and was being taken to maternity ward,” said a senior police official, adding the cops had to face the
anger of medical staff at the ward when they asked them to admit the child and mother in the labour room.
According to a source in the hospital, both the woman and child were first admitted in labour room number2 and later in ward number-3. “Her haemoglobin count and body weight was very low and the doctors are
taking proper care of her. The condition of the baby is fine,” the source said. (Pioneer, 01/02/2011)
Arushi case closure shocked us - NCW Chairperson
Chairperson National Commission of Women Girja Vyas is shocked at the sudden closure of the Arushi
murder case and is putting all her hopes on the judiciary for some justice in the case. Vyas was in the city
on Monday to attend a seminar scheduled for Tuesday. In an exclusive talk with "The Pioneer" Vyas said
that as far as crime against women were concerned Uttar Pradesh was leading in terms of rape and
abduction. Vyas said that the National Commission of Women had kept a tab on the Arushi murder case
and from time to time given its suggestions to the Central Government. " The closure has left us shocked
and surprised. However I have full faith in the judiciary and am hoping that some justice comes from this
quarter" said Vyas. Commenting on the state of the crime against women in Uttar Pradesh NCW
Chairperson said that it was sad that the despite having a women in a Chief Minister there was hardly any
senstivity towards women. " Uttar Pradesh leads in cases of rapes and abduction. And it is appalling that
so many Dalit girls in the state are victims of rape. The other area where UP leads is in of female foeticide
cases with hardly any conviction rates. Earlier it was Punjab that was leading in this area but now it is
Uttar Pradesh." said Vyas. The NCW Chairperson expressed her disappointment at the inability of the
State Commission Women's to do anything because of lack of power. " The State Commission Women in
all the states are appointed by the State Government and are therefore unable to do anything because
they do not have sufficent powers and there is a lot of political interference. We are working towards a
system of close connections of the National Commission of Women with the State Commissions of
Women. I am also hoping to meeting the Chairperson UP State Commission of Women" she added.
When asked about the NCW efforts to stop the increasing incidents of rape specially minors, the
Chairperson said that they had been mooting the Sexual Assault bill in the Parliament as a solution to the
problem. "This has three vital components. First of all there will be a change in the defination of rape.
Uptill now the defination of rape laid emphasis on peneteration but what happens if a minor or a seventy
five year old is raped. Secondly the punishment needs to be made more stringent specially in the case of
gang rapes. Thirdly there have to be several schemes for rehabilitation for the victims. We would also be
stressing on awareness and role of the civil society and police also" said Vyas. She added that it was time
to punish the perverts who committed the act on the minors and got scot free. As regard the flouting of the
PNDT (Pre Natal Diagnostic Test Act) NCW Chairperson said the only if the conviction rates were high
any difference could be expected. " The technology has advanced so much that there are several ways in
which the sex of the child can be known before its birth. The lienses of the centres where these actvities
are being carried out should be cancelled and work should also be focussed at the district levels" said
Vyas. (Pioneer, 01/02/2011)
80-year-old man, son get life sentence for dowry killing
An 80-year-old man and his son were today sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment for killing his
daughter-in-law for dowry in 2004.The District and Sessions Judge convicted Labh Singh, father-in-law of
Jaswinder Kaur, and her husband Jaswant Singh of murder. The prosecution claimed that Jaswinder, a
mother of three, was murdered on the night of October 17, 2004 and her body was found the next day
buried under debris in a field. The police inquiry found that the woman was harassed for dowry. Police
said Jaswant Singh attacked Jaswinder Kaur with a sword following a quarrel. Labh Singh also hit the
woman with a rod that resulted in the death of Jaswinder.Later, the accused told the police that Jaswinder
had been kidnapped by some people who had come in a car. But when the police reached the scene,
they recovered the her body from a nearby field. The police said that they had recovered the sword and
the rod used in the murder. During the hearing, the woman's father Mohan Singh alleged that her in-laws
had demanded Rs 50,000 from them.After hearing arguments, the court today awarded life sentence to
father and son under Aection 302/ 34 of the IPC.The court also slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 each on the
two. (Deccan herald, 01/02/2011)
Newly wed girl set ablaze
KANPUR: A newly-wed girl was allegedly set ablaze in front of her minor sibling here on late Sunday
night by her husband and in-laws under the Kotwali police station limits in Unnao district over dowry
demands. Police registered a complaint against in-laws under Section 302 of Indian Penal Code in this
regard. The brutal incident took place at the Nasirkheda village in the district, when Kailash, who had
married Seema (20) daughter of Raj Kumar of Bandhukheda in Achalganj about a year ago, tried to get
rid of her after the latter's parents failed to fullfill his dowry demands, the parents alleged. The accused,
Kailash, aided by his family members allegedly brutally tortured his wife Seema on late Sunday night.
Later, the accused and his family members set her ablaze in front of her minor sister Lakshmi, the victim's
kin added. According to a complaint lodged by Seema's parents, Kailash, his brother and mother killed
her. They have accused them of beating her till she became unconscious and then setting her on fire for
dowry late on Sunday night. "They have murdered Seema for motorbike, a gold chain and cash," claimed
Raj Kumar, father of the deceased. "Seema's in-laws were dowry greedy. Their lust for money killed her.
Since her marriage they have been demanding cash and jewellery. We had given them enough dowry
and huge amounts money," he said. "Only a week ago, her sister Lakshmi had gone to meet her, she
witnessed the gruesome incident late on Sunday night. Kailash's brothers had also harassed Seema for
dowry," he said. Meanwhile, the police have launched a manhunt for Kailash and his family members,
who are absconding. "We have registered an FIR against her husband and in-laws. The accused will be
arrested soon. A case has been registered in this regard at the Kotwali police station," said circle officer
Brijesh Mishra. (TOI, 01/02/2011)
Woman jumps from train to escape molester
A 23-year-old woman was injured seriously after she jumped from a running train on Tuesday night to
escape a molestation bid. The police are investigating whether she was thrown out of the ErnakulamShoranur passenger train by the molester. They suspect that he also jumped from the train and then
raped her. The woman was found in an unconscious state near the track at Vettikkattiri near
Cheruthururthy at 9.30 p.m., after the guard informed the Railway Police. She was rushed to the Thrissur
Medical College Hospital by a police escort vehicle of Kerala Revenue Minister K.P. Rajendran and was
admitted to the ICU. Her condition remains serious, hospital sources said. The woman was put on
ventilator. She suffered head injuries, a fractured skull, and bleeding in the brain. Most of her injuries
were in the face and hand, and this could be because she was thrown out of the train. Normally, when a
person jumps from a moving train, the injuries are in the legs, hospital sources said. According to the
police, her compartment was near empty; usually, the women's compartment is almost empty after the
train leaves Thrissur, and there were no guards or policemen in the coach. The police are searching for a
physically challenged person who got into the train at the Vallathole Nagar station. The woman, who
works in a private firm in Kochi, was on her way home near Shoranur in connection with a marriage
proposal. (Hindu, 03/02/2011)
SC expunges HC remarks against lady judicial officer
The Supreme Court has quashed the Allahabad High Court's critical remarks against a lady magistrate
despite her acting fairly in a complaint of alleged rape of a daughter-in-law by the father-in-law. The victim
had moved the Judicial Magistrate in Saharanpur Mona Panwar through an application under Section
156(3)of the CrPC for registration of a rape case against her father-in-law Irshad. The victim claimed she
was forced to move the court as neither the local police nor the SSP Sahranpur was willing to register the
complaint. However, after making an inquiry through the police the lady magistrate decided to register her
application as a complaint under Section 200 of the Code by which it was decided to record her
statements along with other witnesses in the court. The police had submitted a report to the magistrate
that the complaint was concocted and the so-called victim was a divorcee who was actually staying with
her parents at the time of the alleged incident. However, the woman filed an appeal in the High Court
challenging the magistrate's decision. A single judge quashed the magistrate's order and made the
disparaging remarks that despite being a lady magistrate she did not apply her mind properly to the case
in which a woman had alleged she was raped by her own father-in-law. He also commented that the
order passed by the magistrate on August 1, 2009, was a blemish on justice meted out to a married lady
who was ravished by her own father-in-law and asked her to be careful in future while passing such
orders. Aggrieved, Mona appealed in the apex court.Upholding the magistrate's plea, a bench of justices
J M Panchal and H L Gokhale said Mona had rightly exercised judicial discretion available to her and it
was wrong on the part of the single judge to make such remarks against her. "There was no occasion for
the learned single judge to observe that the appellant, a judicial magistrate, had done the gravest injustice
to the victim or that though the appellant is a lady magistrate, yet, she did not think about the outcome of
ravishing the chastity of daughter-in-law by her father-in-law or the seriousness of the crime committed by
the accused," Justice J M Panchal writing the judgement said. The apex court said the records indicated
that Mona had discharged her judicial duties to the best of her capacity. "To err is human. It is often said
that a judge, who has not committed an error, is yet to be born. This dictum applies to all the learned
judges at all levels from the lowest to the highest."The difference in views of the higher and the lower
courts is purely a result of a difference in approach and perception. But merely because there is
difference in views, it does not necessarily establish that the lower courts are necessarily wrong and the
higher courts are always right," the bench said. The apex court recalled that in several of its earlier
decisions it had emphasized the need to adopt utmost judicial restraint against making disparaging
remarks so far as members of the lower judiciary was concerned.Accordingly, it expunged the remarks
against the woman judicial officer and quashed the judgement passed by the High Court. (Deccan herald,
03/02/2011)
Ahmebabad murder convict narrates her tale of torment
“Who is responsible for the dearth of good people in our society? The society will turn a good person bad
but will never allow a bad person to return to the good path,” said Farheen Pathan, 28, the widow
convicted by a court for the gruesome murder of her lover. The woman who chopped her lover's body into
several pieces before trying to dump it in the Sabarmati has not had an easy life. She recounted her tale
in an article in Kasturba Ni Kotadiye Thi- a magazine published by Jaswant Thakar Memorial Foundation.
Her brown eyes and beautiful face fail to tell the story of her struggle but she is very vociferous about
it.Farheen, a widow said her trials began after she lost her husband. Following her husband's death she
and her two children were driven out of their home by the in-laws and Farheen was forced to take shelter
at her parent's house. Apparently her brothers too did not help her. Her article in the magazine shows the
pitiable condition of widows in our society. The article makes a mention of how widows find it difficult to
make a living in a society which sees them as easy game. 'This society of ours is quick to point fingers.
But does anybody know that I struggled to live after being abandoned by my in-laws following the death of
my husband. I had two young children with me when I was abandoned," she said in the article. In the
article, she came across as a rebel who tried to make the best of a bad deal. Talking about her life after
being widowed, Pathan said in the article that when she tried to make a living, most people tried to take
advantage of the fact that she was alone and without a man. 'I needed a job but wherever I went they
would stare at me in a vulgar way all because they knew I was a widow and without help," she said.
Pathan later worked as a maid, taking care of children. "The way the society behaves with a widow, do
they do the same to a widower," she asked in the article. She said that the society should encourage a
person to find the right path even if he/she has wavered off to the wrong one. "We need both family and
society's help to live a life of dignity," she said. But she says that often the family accepts a man or
woman with her mistakes but a society makes it a point never to forget them and keeps on taunting about
the same. This she feels permanently closes any window of opportunity for such people. Pathan, a widow
and mother of two, was sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court on Monday for murdering the
man who refused to marry her after currying sexual favours from her. If Pathan is to be believed, her
boyfriend Devang Joshi had promised to marry her and thus indulged in sex with her. But later he backed
down. The article also makes a mention of several other incidents in which she was at the receiving end
of an uncaring society. (DNA, 02/02/2011)
Kerala train rape victim dies
Twenty-three-year-old Kerala girl Soumya, who was brutally attacked and raped after being kicked out of
a running train, succumbed to her injuries at a hospital on Sunday after fighting for life for five long days.
Soumya was a native of Manjakkad, Shoranur in Palakkad district and the only bread-earner of her
family. The body of the girl would be taken to her native place on Monday after post-mortem and
cremation would take place at the public crematorium there. Shoranur would mourn Soumya’s death by
observing a hartal from 6.00 am to 1 pm on Monday. The girl had been in coma since she was admitted
to the intensive care unit on the night of February 1. An emergency operation planned on her had to be
postponed till Friday as her blood pressure remained low. There was a massive blood clot in the cranium
as a result of the heavy blows the rapist had inflicted on her with a rock. “Her condition had improved and
we were even thinking of shifting her to a better facility. But the condition deteriorated by (Sunday)
morning and the vital organs began failing one after the other,” said a doctor. The police arrested
Govindachamy (30), an infamous criminal hailing from Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday night for pushing her
out of a local train, attacking her with rocks and raping her before stealing her belongings. The girl was
attacked in the deserted ladies’ compartment of the Ernakulam-Shoranur Passenger train when she was
returning home from Kochi where she was working. She was to attend the function of her own marriage
engagement on Wednesday. Govindachamy kicked her out of the slow-moving train and jumped after
her. He struck her on the head several times with a boulder and then dragged her into a secluded spot to
rape her. The girl had told the police before falling unconscious that the rapist was a man without left
hand. (Pioneer, 07/02/2011)
Punjab's passport office to keep check on 'holiday marriages'
Thousands of women in Punjab have fallen prey to ''holiday marriages'', duped into marriage by nonresident Indians visiting India and then dumped. The passport office in Jalandhar has formed a women's
grievance cell to deal with such complaints and take action against the accused husbands. "Around
15,000 girls from Punjab's Doaba region, consisting of Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala districts,
were duped by their NRI husbands during the last few years. Jalandhar has maximum number of such
cases," Parneet Singh, passport officer of the Regional Passport Office (RPO), told IANS. "Therefore, to
provide support and justice to these destitute women, we have constituted a 'women's grievance cell'.
This cell would cater to the complaints from women and depending on the merits of the case, take action
under various sections of the Passport Act, 1967," Singh said. According to RPO officials, Section 10 (3)
of the Passport Act states that the passport issuing authority can impound the passport of such offenders
in public interest after issuing them a show-cause notice. The complainant woman has to produce the
marriage certificate, copy of the Fist Information Report (FIR) and documents detailing the husband's
name, date of birth and address. "We would first issue a show-cause notice to the guilty and then his
passport would be confiscated to stop him from going abroad. Then, he cannot leave the country until the
matter is resolved, either legally or through mutual consent. However, if he manages to flee, then we
would inform the Indian embassy abroad and he would be immediately deported to India," Singh said.
"We have also asked district marriage officers to furnish us the details of NRI grooms so that we can tell
them to add the names of their wives on the passports. It would take only 24 hours time from our side," he
added. Singh said they will also discuss the matter with the Punjab government. "This is a very serious
matter. We have decided to take up the matter with the Punjab government. We will give them some
suggestions that can be followed while registering marriages to avoid such incidents," he said. The
Jalandhar RPO caters to four districts of Punjab - Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahar and Kapurthala.
Local NGOs fighting against 'holiday marriages' and working for the rights of women have welcomed the
initiative. "There are countless cases where NRI grooms have deserted their Punjabi wives after taking
huge cash and dowry from them. In most of these cases, police are helpless as these errant husbands
easily manage to leave the country," said Avtar Singh Mullanpuri, senior vice-president of Lok Bhalai
Party, which is working for the rights of such women for the last many years. "Now, we are hopeful that
this initiative of RPO would act as a deterrent and keep a check on these incidents. We are ready to
impart all help to the RPO and give them all details and proof on hundreds of such cases," said
Mullanpuri. (Deccan Herald, 07/02/2011)
Five rape 21-yr-old accountant in Ghaziabad
GHAZIABAD: A 21-year-old woman, sitting with a friend by the roadside at Ghaziabad's CGO Complex,
was allegedly gangraped by five men on Saturday night. The accused, all from a neighbouring village,
pinned down the victim's 24-year-old engineer friend and beat him unconscious while committing the
crime. The engineer reported the rape to the police who have arrested all five accused and charged them
with rape and robbery. Police said the victim, an accountant at a showroom in Noida's Sector 63, was too
traumatized to lodge a complaint. "We will provide protection to the victim and ensure that she is not
harmed," Ghaziabad police chief Raghuvir Lal said while appealing to the victim and her parents to testify
against the culprits or else they will walk away free. Lal said the victim had met her friend on the internet
and the two had been chatting online for quite a while. On Saturday night, they met for the first time in
Noida and later rode on his motorcycle to Ghaziabad. The man lives in Ghaziabad's CGO Complex.
Around 9.30pm, they parked the motorcycle and sat down at a spot on the Raispur-Kamla Nehru Nagar
Road. "The accused — Devendra, Monu, Tony, Jai Kishore and Manoj — all from Raispur, spotted the
couple and started beating up the engineer. They also robbed his Dell Inspiron laptop and the mobile
phones of the couple. Then, even as some of the assailants held the engineer down, the others took turns
to rape the woman," Lal said. The engineer told the police that the woman begged the accused to let her
go. But the more she cried, the more they beat him up. The man told the police that he lost
consciousness and came round after the culprits had escaped. Kavi Nagar police station chief, Vijay
Kumar, said, "The engineer dropped the victim to Noida and came to the police station around midnight.
He filed the report of gangrape and robbery without giving us the name and address of the victim. He said
she was too scared to come forward to pursue the case. But we are trying to reassure the victim and her
family." (TOI, 07/02/2011)
Minister seeks report from NCW
Taking serious note of the frequent incidents of sexual assaults on women in Uttar Pradesh, Minister of
State for Women and Child Development Krishna Tirath on Monday directed the National Commission for
Women to file within two days an investigation report on Saturday's attack on a Dalit girl in Fatehpur. The
culprits chopped off the girl's ear and part of her hand when she resisted a rape attempt. Expressing deep
concern and dismay over the rising incidents of crime against women in the State, Ms. Tirath asked the
U.P. government to take stern measures to protect the citizens from criminal elements. National
Commission for Women chairperson Girija Vyas has sought a detailed action-taken-report from the U.P.
government on the incident. Expressing shock over the attack, she asked the State government to ensure
that the laws were properly implemented. Dr. Vyas described the attack on and subsequent death of a 23year-old woman rail passenger in Kerala as unfortunate and said she would seek reports on the incident
from Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and the State government. [The victim was pushed out of a local
train and raped. After battling for her life for five days, she died on Sunday]. She said attacks were not
confined to passengers in ladies compartments. Women travelling in other compartments also faced such
problems, and these should be addressed. On the U.P. incident, Dr. Vyas said there were no signs of
justice being delivered to the victims and blamed the police for conducting “shoddy” investigations and
implicating innocent persons. (Hindu, 08/02/2011)
Delhi schoolgirl gangraped by 3
A Class 11 girl student was allegedly abducted and gangraped by three youth in R.K. Puram area of
south Delhi, the police said on Monday. The accused have been identified as Mohit Pal, the victim’s
neighbour and friend, Sharad Kumar and Amit, the police said. The victim, who studies in a private school
at Chanakyapuri here, was taken by Mohit to a restaurant in south Delhi for lunch last Wednesday. “After
lunch, Mohit asked her to come over to Sharad’s house in Mohammadpur where the three took turns to
rape her,” a senior police official said. The official said the accused threatened the girl not to tell anyone
about the incident and dropped her at her Sector 6, R.K. Puram residence in evening. “When the girl
reached home, she was so frightened that she didn’t tell her parents about her ordeal. However, the next
day she mustered courage and narrated the incident to her parents who approached the police and a
complaint was lodged,” the official said. The girl was taken to AIIMS where a medical examination
confirmed rape. “A manhunt was launched and the accused were arrested last Thursday. They are all
residents of R.K. Puram and have been charged for gangrape and illegal confinement of the victim,” the
official said. Mohit told the police that he loves expensive motorcycles and the victim was “fascinated” by
his life style. “The two became friends and used to go out frequently. The father of the accused is also a
government employee. All the accused are between 20 and 25 years of age and live in government
quarters in Sector 6, R.K. Puram. (AA, 08/02/2011)
Constitute panels to probe sexual harassment charges: court tells State
The Madras High Court Bench here on Wednesday directed the State government to ensure that a
‘Complaints Committee' to probe into allegations of sexual harassment of women was constituted in all
workplaces and other institutions in compliance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court in
Vishaka Vs. State of Rajasthan in 1997. A Division Bench of Justices N. Paul Vasanthakumar and R.
Subbiah gave the direction while disposing of a writ appeal related to M.S.S. Wakf Board College in which
no such committee had been constituted even after a lapse of 13 years since the apex court judgement.
The judges directed the High Court Registry to forward a copy of the judgement to the Chief Secretary to
the State government for taking immediate action. (The Supreme Court in Vishaka's case had held that
the Complaints Committee should be headed by a woman and not less than half of its members should
be women. Further, to prevent the possibility of any undue pressure or influence from senior levels such
Committee should involve a third party, either a NGO or any other body familiar with the issue of sexual
harassment.) Allowing a writ appeal filed by a woman lecturer of the college, the Division Bench also
reversed a judgement passed by a single judge on April 21. The single judge had quashed an order
passed by the college management on December 2, 2005 terminating the services of its Principal I. Ismail
on charges of harassing the appellant sexually. Upholding the termination order, the Division Bench said
that the former Principal could not be absolved from the charges of sexual harassment merely because
the college had not constituted a Complaints Committee as directed by the Supreme Court in 1997. It
pointed out that the guilt of the Principal had been proved beyond doubt in an internal enquiry conducted
by a retired District Judge. Writing the judgement, Mr. Justice Vasanthakumar pointed out that the
Principal, a member of the Madurai University Teachers Association, was also found guilty of intimidating
teachers and non-teaching staff to go on strike on October 23, 2002. The charges of insubordination,
causing financial loss to the institution and deliberately violating the provisions of the Income Tax Act had
also been proved. (Hindu, 10/02/2011)
8-yr-old raped by speech impaired
An eight-year-old Class-III student of an MCD School was raped by her 20-year-old hearing and speech
impaired neighbour in Chawala area of South-West Delhi on Thursday. Police have arrested the accused
after he was caught red handed by a BSES employee. The incident occurred at 3.15 pm when the victim,
who lives in a slum cluster in Chawla with her family, had gone to play with her friend. Police officials said
that the victim was playing with her friend Neha (name changed) when the accused, identified as Mannu,
forcibly took her at nearby vacant house and raped her. “Neha who was playing with the victim, who
managed to run away from the spot and narrated the entire matter to a BSES employee who happened to
be crossing from the area. The BSES employee reached the spot and found the victim screaming for
help. He overpowered Mannu and informed the police about the matter. A police team reached the spot
and rushed the victim to Rao Tula Ram Memorial hospital where her medical examination confirmed
rape,” said a senior police official. They have booked Mannu under appropriate sections of the IPC.
(Pioneer, 11/02/2011)
Girl gangraped in Sikar, eight youths arrested
JAIPUR: A 19-year-old girl from Sikar was admitted at the Chanpole Women Hospital after she was
gangraped by nine youths. Though, the incident was reported in Ajitgarh police station area of Sikar
district on January, the family members claimed that the girl's condition deteriorated with each passing
day and she had to be hospitalised on Thursday. Over 100 villagers also met senior police officers in
Jaipur and demanded action against the guilty youths. On instructions of the senior officers, the Ajitgarh
police arrested eight of the youths. SHO, Ajitgarh Harpal Singh Rathore said that nine youths barged into
the house of victim's house in Nathkhakhad village around 7 on January 5 and took turn to rape her. "All
the youths were from a family living in the neighbourhood. Both families had dispute over a piece of land.
A fight had taken place the previous day and it seems that to take revenge the youths raped the girl," said
Harpal Singh. (TOI, 11/2/2011)
Dowry harassment: Woman forced to abort seven times
JAIPUR: Thity two-year-old Pinki Sharma's sordid tale is sure to set a new precedent in the several cases
of dowry harassment reported in the state every year. Pinki was allegedly forced by her in-laws to
undergo abortions seven times over dowry demands in the Bali area of Pali district. Pinki has been
married for 13 years. She had lodged an FIR with the local police against her in-laws, but dissatisfied with
the probe, she later approached the district collector who has ordered a fresh inquiry into the case. . She
alleged that her husband married another woman after she was diagnosed with polio two years ago. Pinki
married one Mahendra on June 30, 1998. "After the marriage, my in-laws started harassing me for dowry.
My husband was pursuing BEd and the in-laws said I would have to pay the course fee of Rs 60,000,"
said Pinki, who is a B Ed degree holder. The in-laws allegedly forced Pinki to stay with her parents saying
that she could return only with the money. "Bowing to the demand, my father paid Rs 20,000 and sent me
back," she said. Her in-laws forced her to undergo abortion at hospitals in Jodhpur, Phalana and Sojat
City. "After the first three abortions, my in-laws murdered the fetus in the house only," said Pinki. Further
bowing to her in-laws' demands, her father paid the remaining Rs 40,000. "They allowed me to stay with
my husband only on the condition that I would not conceive. But in 2008, I got bed-ridden due to polio and
they threw me out of the house," said Pinki. Later, she came to know that Mahendra had married another
girl from Bhilwara."They thought if a child was born, it would be more difficult to dump me," she claimed.
Pinki then approached the police and registered an FIR. "We had investigated the matter and filed a
chargesheet against her in-laws in the court recently. They were arrested and are presently out on bail,"
said Mohan Lal, DySP who investigated the case as circle officer of Bali. He is currently deputed in the
excise department's enforcement wing. Not satisfied with the probe, she approached district collector
Niraj K Pawan, who then directed sub-divisional magistrate of Bali Lalchand Pareek to investigate the
matter. "The victim is demanding compensation and a fresh probe by the police. I have asked the police
to look into the matter again," said Pareek. (TOI, 11/02/2011)
Raped Dalit girl of Mahanga gets justice finally
Sexual exploitation of innocent unmarried girls due to poverty is increasing in the society and judiciary
needs to act against the accused without showing any leniency on the perpetrators of the crime. This was
indeed the bottom-line of a judgment delivered by a lower court here recently, in which the court also went
a step forward directing the Government to give a substantial amount realised as fine from the accused to
the victim. The incident pertains to the shocking case of a Dalit girl in Mahanga, 50 km from here, who
was raped by the employer of her father. Taking advantage of engaging the girl’s father as a servant, the
employer, Kulamani Nayak (50), had established physical relationship with the girl and as a result the girl
got pregnant. Holding trial in the case, the court of Additional Sessions Judge here convicted Nayak
under several sections of IPC and Section 3 of SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and sentenced
him undergo rigorous imprisonment for two years and pay a fine of Rs 7,000. The court further directed
that at least Rs 6,000 from the collected fine amount shall be paid to the victim as she is entitled to
compensation as per the rulings of the Supreme Court. The case of the girl had been brought to light by
Cuttack-based social organidation Project Swarajya. The NGO had rescued the victim from a private
hospital here way back in May 2008 as she was left alone there after delivering a stillborn child. “After
rescuing the girl, we filed an FIR with the Mahanga police, which arrested Nayak. Providing free legal
support to the girl we ensured that the accused was also punished under law,” said Project Swarajya
secretary Dolli Dash. Dash further disclosed that the victim was also awarded compensation of Rs 25,000
from the district administration, and the district Collector has also assured that the girl would
get benefits under other schemes as well. (Pioneer, 21/02/2010)
More women join campaign
MANSA: Scores of women raised their voice for saving the girl child, on Sunday, while pitching in against
the rising menace of female foeticide at an all women's rally held in Mansa. Aiming to make her pet
project -- Nanhi Chhan and Kanjaka (small girl) -- into a sustained campaign, SAD MP from Bathinda,
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, on Sunday restarted the movement of 'kukh bachao rukh bachao' (save the girl,
save trees) in a new avatar with a view to involve more women. She called upon women to rise against
the social evil and protect the girl child by not killing her in the womb. Harsimrat said, "The world is
incomplete without women but instances of killing girls in the womb are rising manifold and women need
to come forward to stop the killing of girls to ensure balance in society.'' She said that only education
could make women independent and the Nanhi Chhan Foundation would demand from the state
government that at least one girls' degree college be opened in every assembly constituency. The
programme, however, was cut short because of inclement weather. The Bathinda MP, while urging
women to contribute towards the betterment of society said, foeticide not only results in a skewed sex
ratio, but it also gives rise rise to crimes. (TOI, 21/02/2011)
Suicide seen as easy way out of harassment: Doctors
CHENNAI: In 2009, Chennai and Tamil Nadu ranked the highest in terms of the number of women
committing suicide by self-immolation, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures. Of
the 1,046 suicides by self-immolation by women in the country, 171 were in Chennai, or 16%. Among the
states, the figures for Tamil Nadu were 18% of the national figure. Men too have committed suicide by
self-immolation the number of women is far higher. About 75% of the suicides by self-immolation in the
Chennai are women. While cities like Mumbai and Hyderabad also see a number of suicides by selfimmolation, the difference between the number of men committing suicide and women committing suicide
is not very large. Doctors in the burns ward of the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital in Chennai say 90%
of the victims in the cases they see in a day are women. "We see a lot of cases where women have
attempted suicide and come with almost 90% burns. Most are married and prefer committing suicide to
being harrassed by their husbands and in laws," said Sister Amala, a nurse in the KMCH burns ward. She
also mentions that most of the deaths are not reported as dowry deaths in the police records but
registered as accidents or suicides. (TOI, 21/02/2011)
Foetal sex determination on rise in Erode
A significant number of eligible boys in Erode district now travel more than 400 km to areas in Kerala to
find themselves a bride. While this is more in one community, the others are slowly catching up with this
trend and there is a dramatic increase in the appearance of matrimonial advertisements seeking brides.
These come with the words “caste no bar” from Erode. The situation may even turn worse in the years to
come as there is an alarming decline in the child sex ratio in the district. Currently, Erode has a child sex
ratio (0-6 years) of 932 girls per 1,000 boys, which is far below the national average and the
internationally accepted levels. Earlier in 2001, the district had a child sex ratio of 944 girls per 1,000 boys
in 2001. Social activists now fear that the scant attention paid by the health officials in the district in
monitoring the ultrasound scan centres and their failure in the strict enforcement of Pre-conception and
Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex selection) Act may lead to severe consequences in
the years to come. “There are no incidents of female infanticide in the district. But there are reports of
increasing number of foetal sex determination and sex selective abortions,” activists point out. The foetal
sex determination and female foeticide, according to highly-placed official sources, happens at all levels
in society. “Even the highly educated and affluent people in society resort to the obnoxious practice. Most
of these incidents do not come to light as they have been done very discreetly and with the knowledge of
the persons concerned,” a senior official says. Though the child sex ratio in the district had declined over
the years, there were no cases booked for violations of PCPNDT Act so far. “The healthcare institutions
do not maintain a proper documentation on why the abortion is done. The health officials in the district
also do not insist the hospitals to provide such information. Even the pregnancy details are not reported
properly in the district,” a senior official told The Hindu. The alarming decline has prompted the district
administration to tighten the monitoring of scan centres and hospitals. The health authorities were given
specific instructions last week to monitor the hospitals and the scan centres. “We cannot allow the sexselective discriminatory practices to continue. It will lead to severe problems at a later point of time.
People should also realise this fact. We are now closely watching the scan centres and hospitals,”
Collector T. Soundiah said. (Hindu, 22/02/2011)
2,191 rape cases reported in State
A total of 2,191 rape cases were reported in Madhya Pradesh from February 15, 2010 to January 31,
2011 and 2,431 accused have been arrested, while 132 accused are still at large in these cases. Home
Minister Uma Shanker Gupta in a written reply to question of Congress legislators Ramniwas Rawat and
Panchilal Meda informed the State Assembly that 2,191 rape cases were reported in this duration
including 209 gang rapes and 31 cases of murder after rape or gang rape. In normal rape cases,
Schedule Tribe (ST) women were victimised in 828 cases, in 899 cases excesses were committed on
Other Backward Class (OBC) women and in 462 cases general category women were victimised.
Besides, 59 ST women, 109 OBC and 41 general category women became victim of gang rapes. Of the
total 31 murders after rape or gang rape, 15 were done on ST women, 10 on OBC and 6 on general
women. Rawat and Meda in their queries wished to know from the Home Minister as how many cases of
rape, gang rape and murder after rape or gang rape were reported in the State from February 15, 2010 to
January 31, 2011. How many persons were arrested till date and is the increase in rape cases due to the
increasing cyber crime, what measures have been adopted by the State Government to contain the
crime? Gupta said, “This is not correct that the increase in the gang rape cases in State is due to the
increasing cyber crime and deteriorating law and order situation. Though taking serious note of this type
of crime, it has been decided to investigate them on priority, arrest in such cases are done promptly to
expedite justice to the victims.” (Pioneer, 23/02/2011)
Teenager raped by neighbour in Delhi
A 19-year-old girl hailing from Chhattisgarh was raped allegedly by her neighbour in south Delhi, police
said today. The incident took place at Anand Niketan area in Dhaula Kuan on Sunday and the accused,
identified as Sanjay, has been arrested, a senior police officer said. The victim, who works as a caretaker,
was staying with her elder sister in Delhi. She was sleeping in her room when Sanjay barged into her
room and locked it from outside. "He assaulted her sexually. Hearing the commotion, the victim's sister
rushed to the room and called police. Sanjay was arrested," the official said. "Sanjay used to eve-tease
the woman and tried to befriend her. However, she refused after which he decided to take revenge on
her," he said, adding that the victim was taken to Safdurjung hospital for a medical examination where
sexual assault was confirmed. Around 40 rape cases were reported in the national capital this year so far.
The city has witnessed a sharp increase in rape and molestation cases last year since 2007. In 2010, the
city witnessed 489 rape incidents, including the infamous Dhaula Kuan rape and Mongolpuri, as against
459 in 2009. While in 2006, the number of such cases were 609, there was a drop in 2007 which
recorded 581 cases. In 2008, it further dipped to 466. Almost similar was the case with molestation cases
in the capital in these years but it showed an increase in 2010 to 585 from the previous year's 532. While
2008 had 597 cases, there were 835 incidents in 2007 and 713 in 609. In over 90% of such cases, the
accused were known to victims. In 46% of the rape cases reported last year, the accused were relatives
or friends while 45% were neighbours. (DNA, 22/02/2011)
Man held for raping teen daughter for two years
Man held for raping teen daughter for two years MUMBAI: The Shivaji Nagar police on Tuesday arrested
a 44-year-old man for allegedly raping his teenaged daughter at their Govandi hutment for over two
years. The victim is the eldest among five siblings. Shahbuddin Khan managed to silence his wife and
daughter by threatening them with dire consequences. On Tuesday, the mother-daughter duo gathered
courage to approach the police. Khan has been booked under sections 376 (rape) and 506 (II) (criminal
intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code. He will be produced before a local court on Wednesday. Khan, a
labourer, forced himself on his daughter every time his wife stepped out of the house. "He also forced his
wife to go to her village on many occasions so that he could rape their daughter," an investigator said.
Khan first raped his daughter in 2009 when his wife was admitted to a hospital. The girl, in her complaint,
said, "My father raped me repeatedly for 15 days. When my mother returned home from the hospital, he
forced her to go to our village to take rest. He continued to rape me till my mother returned to Mumbai."
The victim narrated the entire incident to her mother upon her returned. "Khan threatened to kill his wife
when she confronted him on the matter and told her to keep quiet," a police officer of the Shivaji Nagar
police station. However, things soon got out of hand and Khan started raping his daughter in front of his
wife. (TOI, 22/02/2011)
Minor sets self on fire after rape by neighbour
LUCKNOW: A minor girl burnt herself after being raped by her neighbour in Aligarh on Tuesday. In
another incident a minor was stabbed for resisting the obscene advances by local goons, proving that
Uttar Pradesh was becoming increasingly unsafe for women. Afsana (17) of Kwarsi area in Aligarh was
admitted to hospital with 70% burns where she died shortly afterwards. In her dying declaration before a
magistrate on Tuesday morning, Afsana accused her neighbour Amir of rape, molestation and assault.
The other incident happened in Kanpur. The victim, who was repeatedly stabbed, said her neighbour
Deepak Yadav had been making obscene passes at her for the past few weeks. "I did not pay any
attention to him as I knew that if I tell anyone, things may turn ugly,'' the victim said. But things went way
beyond her control when Deepak and his three associates allegedly gathered outside her house and
started throwing stones at the doors. "When my brother objected to it, they attacked him. As my mother
rushed to his rescue, they turned to her instead. In the ensuing melee, two of the accused attacked me
with a knife,'' she said pointing towards multiple wounds that she had suffered on her hands and right
shoulder. The incident has only added to the belief of the victim's family and local residents that the
accused had no fear of the law and the police. (TOI, 23/02/2011)
23-year-old gangraped in moving car
A 23-year-old woman was gangraped in a moving car and dumped at Rajghat after 5 hours. She was
allegedly offered a ride by an acquaintance from South Extension earlier on Wednesday morning. Police
said they received a call around 4 am from the woman, who works at a shoe factory. “We have not
received any complaint. On the basis of the PCR call, we are examining what action we can take,” said H
G S Dhaliwal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South). Police said the victim was too scared to file a
formal complaint. According to police, the woman got into the Maruti Gypsy because she knew one of the
accused. She was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on Wednesday for a medical
examination, which confirmed sexual assault, police said. She is being provided medical aid and an NGO
has been told to counsel her, they added. “She is in trauma and is not able to narrate the sequence of
events. We have sought legal opinion, before we register an FIR,” said a senior police officer. The
accused reportedly drove around Delhi without being stopped for checking even once. The Delhi Police
had started checking all vehicles plying on city roads at night, after last year’s Dhaula Kuan gangrape
case, when a 30-year-old BPO employee was abducted and sexually assaulted. (IE, 24/02/2011)
‘One crore girls vanish every year'
About one crore girls vanish every year through foeticide or other forms of killing, Governor of
Uttarakhand Margaret Alva said here on Wednesday. She was addressing a seminar on women's rights
here organised by Congress leader Janet D Souza's non-governemental organisation ‘Parivartan.' “We
call it the disappearing sex. One crore girls die every year or are not allowed [to be born],” Ms. Alva said.
On the issue of ‘honour killings,' she said: “What is happening in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and Uttar
Pradesh? Khap panchayats tell married couples to live like siblings. Couples are killed. We call it
dishonour killings,” Ms. Alva said. While there were many laws protecting the rights and entitlements of
women, 80 per cent of the women were not aware of them, and mostly, women were told to put up with
domestic violence. She stressed on the need to sensitise the implementation machinery to make
legislation more effective. “Till today, there are thousands of dowry-related deaths. There are many
complaints of the police not registering cases. No one comes to help the women. If a woman is suffering
domestic violence, others prefer not to meddle with the family's affairs. If laws have to be implemented
effectively, we have to think about how to go about it. Jail officers, bureaucrats, court, lawyers and NGOs
need to be sensitised about legislation on women. Crores of rupees are being spent on this,” she said.
‘Appoint women judges' Pointing to the large number of male judges at family courts, Ms. Alva called
for the appointment of women judges. Most of the health programmes for women focussed on issues
related to child-bearing, while other health issues were neglected. “Health initiatives only look at pre-natal,
post-natal problems. Don't women's bodies suffer from other ailments? Is there a post-menopause
programme? Since a woman is done having children, she can be left to die,” Ms. Alva said. She also
came down heavily against the traditional idolisation of women. “Men ask ‘What do women want?' Are
they not worshipped as Lakshmi and Saraswathi? Isn't the President a woman? Isn't the person heading
the United Progressive Alliance a woman? But, this is not victory. Don't turn us into idols; treat us like
human beings. Give us the right to life, to live and to die peacefully,” Ms. Alva said. Speakers called for 33
per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and the Vidhan Sabha. Advocate Mrunalini Deshmukh
said women were becoming aware of their rights as a growing number were filing for divorce. “In a year,
there are at least 10,000 cases not just of divorce, but of child custody and maintenance,” she said.
Veteran journalist Pratima Joshi said that the Mahila Ayog in Maharashtra had almost become defunct.
She also said that along with the grant of 33 per cent quota, there must be an assurance that the seats
would go to women party workers and not to the kith and kin of leaders in power. (Hindu, 25/02/2011)
Court rejects plea to charge Suhaib Ilyasi with murder of wife
Noting that there was no fresh evidence on record against Suhaib Ilyasi, made famous by the India’s
Most Wanted TV show, a city court has rejected a plea to charge him with the murder of his wife, Anju, in
2000. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Sanjay Garg dismissed an application by Ilyasi’s mother-in-law
Rukma Singh to try him for murder, besides the dowry death charge that he currently faces. The court
noted that no new incriminating fact had emerged from the statements of Anju’s mother and sisters before
the court. The application had claimed that the statements brought to light fresh evidence against Ilyasi —
an argument that Singh failed to establish in court. ASJ Garg also rejected Singh’s plea to try Ilyasi for
tampering with evidence relating to Anju’s murder by saying: “There’s no proof to support the allegation
that he tampered with the evidence.” The court noted that a sessions judge had earlier rejected a similar
application by Singh for want of fresh material or ground to frame charges of murder against Ilyasi, and
there has been no change in the circumstances since then. Ilyasi was arrested on March 28, 2000, on
charges of harassment for dowry (Section 498A) and dowry death (Section 304B) after Anju allegedly
committed suicide at their East Delhi residence on January 10. The charges were framed after his sisterin-law and mother-in-law alleged that he used to torture his wife for dowry. After a failed attempt in 2004,
Singh — in another application moved recently — had sought framing of additional murder charges
against Ilyasi while basing her plea on medical opinion and certain circumstantial pieces of evidence. But
Ilyasi’s counsel, senior advocate Ramesh Gupta, pointed out to ASJ Garg that all the material that Singh
claimed had surfaced recently were available for consideration before the previous trial court judge, who
framed charges accordingly. Gupta also referred to the previous decision, which turned down Singh’s
plea for want of new evidence. ASG Garg concurred with Gupta’s contention and dismissed the
application. (IE, 25/02/2011)
Indian men lead in sexual violence, worst on gender equality: Study
NEW DELHI: Nearly one in four Indian men has committed sexual violence at some point in their lives
and one in five has admittedly forced his wife or partner to have sex. The findings of a recent International
Men and Gender Equality Survey reflects a new low for Indian men. Only 2% Brazilian males and less
than 9% of men in Chile, Croatia, Mexico and Rwanda were found to have indulged in sexual violence.
The survey was conducted in six developing countries across four continents to map attitudes and
practices related to gender equality. Researchers from the International Centre for Research on Women (
ICRW in US and India) and Instituto Promundo in Brazil, who led the survey, interviewed more than 8,000
men and 3,500 women, aged 18 to 59, from these countries. Indians, who are known to excel in
competitive examinations globally, were ranked last on the 'gender equitable men' scale, given that only
17% of men here qualified to the 'highly equitable' (gender-just) category. The percentage was the lowest
for this category among the six countries. On sexual violence, 24% said they had committed some form of
it in their lives. While Croatia topped the test, with 82% 'gender-just' men, more than 50% men in Brazil,
Chile, and Mexico made the grade. Rwanda, which is among the least developed nations in the world, in
fact, fared better than India, with 30% males qualifying as 'highly equitable'. Rwanda, however, joined
India with highest rate of domestic violence, with 38% men admitting they had physically abused their
partners. Worse, more than 65% Indian men also believed that women should tolerate violence to keep
the family together and that women sometimes deserved to be beaten. And although Indian men were the
most sexually and physically violent at home, they were not involved in violent or criminal behaviour
outside. Only 4% Indian men had participated in robbery and 7% had been involved in fights with
weapons, compared to 36% men in Croatia and 22% men in Brazil. The findings, released in Washington
last month, reiterated that although India may be on its way to becoming the world's fastest developing
economy, it figures at the bottom of the pile when it comes to gender equality. "Indian men are far more
traditional, to put it mildly. Even young, educated men are not changing as rapidly as women. They are
still living in the old ages," said Ravi Verma, director of ICRW's Asia regional office in Delhi. Verma added
that they would soon present the survey findings to the ministry of women and child development and
other policy-makers to urge them to make appropriate changes in policies and programmes to better
foster gender equality. In the survey, which found Indian men to be the worst offenders in terms of sexual
violence, more than 1,000 men from the 1,500 interviewed in India were from Delhi. The findings mirrored
the high incidence of sexual assault in Delhi: the capital witnessed 489 rapes last year. "Although the
survey has focussed on violence in the privacy of homes, it reflects the situation in public places, too,"
said Kalpana Vishwanath, project director of the Gender Inclusive Cities project run by Jagori NGO. South
Asia does fare quite poorly in terms of gender equality. Vibhuti Patel, a women's rights activist, blamed
the repression of sexuality in India for the high rate of sexual violence. "All the other countries surveyed
have more sexual freedom than India. Rwanda, too, has tribal culture so people are more open and
women's role in the economy is recognized," said Patel, who heads the economics department at
Mumbai's SNDT University. "In India, the age-old code of conduct has been to keep men and women
separate. So women are only viewed as sex objects," she added. (TOI, 07/03/2011)
‘Govt callous towards weaker sections, especially women’
Accusing the State Government of being apathetic, around 20,000 men and women would march to CM
House on the International Women’s Day for demanding answers to multiple demands of Dalit, Tribal and
marginalised communities. A delegation of Jan Pahel also set out to meet Governor Rameshwar Thakur
on Monday. “The Governor listened to our grievances and assured that he would forward our concerns to
the State Government,” they said. The dharna of the volunteer group “Dera Dalo, Ghera Dalo” continued
at Bhopal Board Office Square on Monday. Before the delegation set off for the Governor’s office, a Press
conference was addressed by community leaders and representatives from the communities who are
reeling under the impact of displacement, denial of their rights on common resources like land and forest,
undermining of the powers and rights of Gram Sabha and panchayati institutions. “We are demanding
that the State’s Chief Minister should at least listen to the demands of the oppressed majority that has
come together as part of a people’s alliance. We will march to the CM’s residence under the leadership of
women,” said Sarika Sinha, from Jan Pahel, at a Press briefing on Monday. The speakers included
demands such as right to land, forest and water as their basic entitlement, which cannot be taken away,
and said the so-called development focus is superficial. They said as long as basic violations of rights
continue, the talk of growth is meaningless. Jan Pahel is a platform of the excluded communities,
progressive individuals and mass organisations in Madhya Pradesh. The list of demands includes; equal
opportunities to the excluded communities, food security for all the excluded communities and
democratisation of society, economy and others. Talking about Tuesday’s agitation, group spokesperson
Narendra informed that denial of land rights mostly to the female hailing from weaker sections is the main
agenda of the protest. He claimed that post 2005, around 2,94,000 claims have been made under Forest
Land Right Act but the State Government has only accepted 80,000 claims till date. “We demand that
single females hailing from Bedia, Banchhda communities and women engaged in scavenging should be
handed land rights, which is not the case till date,” said Narendra. (Pioneer, 08/03/2011)
Women crew to fly Delhi-Toronto flight
An all-women crew will operate a 15-hour non-stop flight from here to Toronto on Tuesday to mark
International Women’s Day. The 11-member crew will not only operate the flight AI-187, but women
engineers will carry out the safety audit before the Boeing B 777-300ER aircraft flies out from the IGI
Airport. While Capt Rashmi Miranda will be the commander and Capt Sunita Narula the First Officer on
this commemorative flight, Harpreet A De Singh, chief of Quality Management Systems, will carry out a
Line Observation Safety Audit. The flight will be despatched by Rashmi Verma, a spokesperson said. The
airline will also operate flights on several domestic sectors with all-women crew tomorrow, he said. These
include flights on sectors like Delhi-Patna, Delhi-Raipur-Nagpur, Delhi-Lucknow, Mumbai-Bangalore,
Chennai-Mumbai and Bangalore-Delhi. Air India has a large contingent of 157 women pilots flying its fleet
of wide and narrow body aircraft on international and domestic routes. It has over 5,300 women
employees in its workforce. Interestingly, a flight of no-frill airline IndiGo was recently delayed by about
two hours when a passenger created ruckus saying he would not fly with a woman pilot. Airport security
officials took him off the plane, but he was allowed back only after an apology. Meanwhile, as part of the
centenary celebrations of Civil Aviation in India and to observe the Women’s Day, the Civil Aviation
Ministry will felicitate women aviators on Tuesday who have contributed significantly to the sector. Among
those to be felicitated are Capt Durba Banerjee, the first woman commander of an airline, and Chanda
Budhabhatti, pioneer pilot and founder of Indian Women Pilots’ Association. Capt Prem Mathur, the first
woman to obtain a Commercial Pilot License, would also be honoured posthumously. (Deccan herald,
08/03/2011)
Domestic workers left out in sexual harassment at workplace Bill
Domestic workers have been specifically left out of the ambit of the 'Protection of Women against Sexual
Harassment at workplace Bill' which seeks to provide protection to all women at their places of work.
Domestic workers have been specifically excluded from the definition of employee as it may be difficult to
enforce the provisions of the Bill within the privacy of homes and there being no domestic code of conduct
having been prescribed, Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath told the Lok Sabha
today. "It may be more practical for them to take recourse to provisions under criminal law," she said.
Women who are employed as well as those who enter the work place as clients, customers or
apprentices besides, the students and research scholars in colleges and universities and patients in
hospitals are sought to be covered under the proposed legislation, she said in a written reply. The
proposed Bill on 'Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at workplace' seeks to provide
protection to women against sexual harassment at all workplaces both in the public and the private sector,
whether organised or unorganised and also provides for prevention and redressal of complaints of sexual
harassment. Such a legislation by giving women a sense of security at the workplace would encourage
their participation in work resulting in their social and economic empowerment. It would also contribute in
achieving the goal of inclusive growth, Tirath said. (IE, 08/03/2011)
BJP, Left unite over divorce law
NEW DELHI: The passage of Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill 2010 to include 'irretrievable breakdown of
marriage' as a ground for divorce could be the next battle in Parliament with both Left and BJP opposing
the proposed legislation in its present form. Opposition leaders feel the clause could be misused to deny
women rights on property and children and the bill must be accompanied by changes in institutional
mechanisms. Arun Jaitely said the bill to allow divorce by mutual consent must be linked to a social
security mechanism. "If the bill must be brought, you have to simultaneously bring in an institutional
mechanism. This amendment works in countries that have a well established social security mechanism,"
he said. Left leader Brinda Karat said the amendment would be misused against women as most
relationships in India continue to be unequal. "Amendments to this law are a misconceived priority and it
will be misused against women if brought in this form. I will move amendments when it is brought for
discussion in RS," she said. A parliamentary panel headed by Congress MP Jayanthi Natarajan has
supported amending laws to include irretrievable breakdown of marriage as a ground for divorce but has
asked for safeguards to ensure that women get a share in matrimonial property and a clear stand on
children adopted by a couple. The parliamentary panel opposed doing away with the prevailing waiting
period of six months before moving a joint motion for annulling marriage. The parliamentary standing
committee on law and justice, which presented its report in Parliament on the Marriage Laws
(Amendment) Bill, 2010, said it favoured the broad objective of the bill to introduce 'irretrievable
breakdown of marriage' as a new ground for grant of divorce. The report, tabled in Parliament last week,
said, "The committee is of the view that the existing provisions of law for divorce by mutual consent are
fair and reasonable and the prevailing cooling off period be retained so as to protect and preserve the
institution of marriage." The Rajya Sabha committee has also recommended that the government should
define the term 'irretrievable breakdown of marriage' in the bill so that uniform standards are followed in
dealing with divorce petitions by courts. It has also asked for defining the term 'grave financial hardship' to
avoid ambiguity. It has recommended that the government clear its stand with regard to adopted children
and establish a legal mechanism to ensure that women get their share in matrimonial property acquired
during subsistence of the marriage. The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, moved by law minister aims at
mitigating hardships by allowing divorce in cases of complete failure of marriages. At present, the petition
for a divorce on the ground of mutual consent can be presented by the spouses together. (TOI,
08/03/2011)
Delhi most unsafe metro for women: NCRB
With that fact that incidents of crime against women have gone up in the Capital, Delhi, according to the
latest National Crime Records Bureau, has earned the dubious distinction of being the most unsafe
metro, topping the list of ignominy in number of atrocities against women. Around 25 per cent of the
murder victims in the national capital are women. Last year, 519 murders were reported in the capital
while the figure was 527 for 2009, 528 (2008) and 467 (2007 and 2006), the police official said. This year
so far, 42 women were raped and 73 molested in the capital. In January, 17 cases of rape were reported
besides 29 molestation cases with police claiming that they have solved 95 per cent of rape cases and 83
per cent of molestation cases. In 2010, the city witnessed 489 rape incidents as against 2009's 459. The
figure for 2006 was 609 followed by a drop to 581 next year while in 2008 it further dipped to 466. Almost
similar was the case with molestation cases in the capital in these years but it showed an increase this
year to 585 from last year's 532. While 2008 had 597 cases, there were 835 incidents in 2007 wand 713
in 609. (Pioneer, 09/03/2011)
Delhi girl shot dead on Women’s Day
On a day when the city was celebrating International Women’s Day, a young girl was shot dead on
Tuesday outside a college in full public glare and an elderly woman strangled in her house in Delhi within
hours of the incident, exposing the vulnerability of the fair sex in the country’s capital. The two shocking
incidents caused outrage among citizens as well as political leaders, leading to a massive protest by
students. While the 21-year-old degree student’s murder is suspected to be the handiwork of a “stalker,”
the 70-year-old woman, whose lawyer-daughter is fighting for Rajesh and Nupur Talwar in the sensational
Aarushi murder case, was reportedly strangled during a robbery bid. Radhika Tanwar, a second-year
student, was shot dead outside Ramlal Anand College in the Dhaula Kuan Shantiniketan area around
10:20 am by an unidentified man who is believed to be trailing her for some time. She and her friends
crossed the road after alighting from a bus and used the foot overbridge to reach her college. As she
stepped down from the bridge, a man opened fire at her from behind and fled the scene. Police
immediately received a call about the incident and later another informing that a mobile phone had burst
near her ear. She was shot near the spinal cord below the neck. “There were around five students near
the scene of the crime but they did not realise what was happening. They thought that someone had burst
crackers. He (the culprit) deliberately chose that place because of the congestion and noise in the
atmosphere,” a senior police official said. Initially, nobody understood what happened. After a few
seconds they saw the girl collapsing with blood oozing from her body. Some people ran away from the
spot. Her friends and locals rushed her to Safdurjung Hospital in an autorickshaw. She was declared
brought dead by hospital doctors. The motive behind the incident is being investigated, the police official
said. They suspect the hand of a “stalker” in the murder. “We are investigating all angles. It could be a
case of a stalker committing the murder. But we cannot say anything now as the investigation is in the
initial stages,” he said. The second incident happened in East Delhi’s Vivek Vihar in the afternoon. Anna
Mammen, a retired teacher and the mother of lawyer Rebbeca Mammen John who is appearing for the
Talwars in the case, was alone at home when the attackers entered the house and attacked her, the
official said. Investigators suspect it to be a case of robbery-cum-murder as some articles were missing
from the house. They are, however, probing all angles. The girl’s family said she left home for college at
9:15 am. “She never told us she was facing problems. We don’t suspect anybody as of now,” Vipin, the
girl’s brother, said. Radhika’s father Rajender Singh, a property dealer, said: “I don’t know who could have
done this to my daughter. She had no enmity with anyone.” But Deputy Commissioner of Police H G S
Dhaliwal said; “It appears the girl was specifically targeted. The attacker appeared to be known to her was
trailing her.” Angry over the girl’s killing, a large number of students on Delhi University’s south campus
staged a protest demonstration against the lack of security for students and blocked Ring Road. Some
locals also joined the protest. This is the second incident involving a student’s death inside or just outside
the campus in the past about a month. On February 4, a 21-year-old BA student was found dead under
mysterious circumstances in Satyawati College in north-east Delhi’s Ashok Vihar with his family alleging
that he was murdered and hanged by the family of girl with whom he had a relationship. The girl’s murder
evoked strong reactions from MPs, including Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, who
condemned the incident. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said it was a matter of shame that women feel
insecure in the national capital. Reacting to the murder, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s wife
Gursharan Kaur said crimes against women are a “cause for concern”. National Commission for Women
Chairperson Girija Vyas and CPM Politburo member Brinda Karat wondered why such incidents were
recurring. Karat said, “It is a very sad incident. The incident took place when we are talking about women
empowerment and celebrating Women’s Day.” (Deccan herald, 09/03/2011)
Woman denied bed, delivers in open in Surat
A woman had to deliver her twins in the open, outside a government hospital, in Surat on Tuesday after
she was refused admission on grounds that she did not have a case paper. The hospital administration
tried to put up a vague defence, saying the woman had been asked to wait. A nurse in the gynaecology
ward told Ramdulari Parmar, 38, that she could not be given a bed unless she submitted her case papers
and allegedly shouted at the woman’s husband when he persuaded on admitting his wife who was
groaning with labour pain. The incident took place despite a standing circular issued by the hospital that
“if a patient is brought in a serious condition, the doctors should immediately provide treatment. The case
paper can be arranged later.” The mother and the infants were later treated at the emergency ward.
Hospital superintendent Dr MK Wadhel said an inquiry had been ordered into the incident. Megha Jani, a
Gujarat high court lawyer, said, “The woman can file a complaint against the persons concerned and the
hospital administration should hold an inquiry to fix the responsibility of those who showed such
negligence. “Such an event is a shameful reminder to the difficulties faced by women, especially those
who face financial constraints and lack resources.” (DNA, 09/03/2011)
Social prejudices against women exist: President Pratibha Patil
President Pratibha Patil today lamented that social prejudices against women still exist in the country
despite legal provisions and favoured imparting judo-karate skills to girl students to protect themselves.
"Women have to face many kinds of challenges and discrimination because of prevalent social prejudices
and ills. These social evils are hindering country's progress and despite laws against them, they are still
being practised," Patil said on the International Women's Day here. She was speaking after taking salute
at a parade from the first women paramilitary (CRPF) contingent of the country on the occasion of its
silver jubilee here. The president also favoured imparting judo-karate skills to girl students at the
elementary level to protect themselves. More than 800 women troopers pledged to donate their eyes and
organs after death, in presence of the president. The first women paramilitary battalion was raised in the
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in 1986 to deal with law and order duties. Patil, who was accorded
the 'national salute' by the 88th women battalion of the force here, said, "Her eyes are wet with proud and
happiness" after seeing these "brave girls together" here. While wishing the CRPF women and others on
the occasion of the International Women's Day, Patil said more and more women should join security and
police forces. "One should remember, that only when women would be safe then the country and the
world would be safe," she said. The CRPF's women contingent has won gallantry medals and
commendations for action during the Parliament attack and the militant attack at Srinagar airport in 2001.
The women contingent's parade was reviewed by the president at the force's camp here and its personnel
also got an opportunity to get themselves photographed with the president. The CRPF has presently two
operational women battalions, one located in the national capital and other at Gandhinagar in Gujarat,
while the third is being raised. (DNA, 09/03/2011)
UN launches scheme for widows
To mark the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day on Tuesday, the United Nations Women
announced a new regional programme to address the needs of widows in India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
"India has an estimated 40 million widows, and their lives are often mired in poverty, neglect, and
deprivation. The time has come for us to act and create space for widows in mainstream policy and social
welfare schemes. Their situation has to be recognised and addressed," said Anne F. Stenhammer,
Regional Programme Director, UN Women South Asia. The three-year programme, funded jointly by the
UN Women Swiss National Committee and the Standard Chartered Bank, will be implemented in India,
Nepal and Sri Lanka to reduce the social ostracism faced by widows. This will be done by collecting data
and evidence to highlight the stigma faced by them, by working with widows' coalitions so they can speak
up and access public services, and finally by guaranteeing that discrimination social practices against
widows are reviewed and repealed. Focus on young widows Plans are also afoot to work with local
community leaders for the cause of widows. While in India, UN Women will work with widows affected by
HIV, the focus will be on young widows in Nepal and widows living in conflict areas in Sri Lanka. The
programme will be implemented in partnership with the [non-governmental organisations] Guild of Service
and Astha Sansthan in India, the Women for Human Rights (WHR) in Nepal, and Women's Education
and Research Centre in Sri Lanka. A survey, done to gauge the situation of widows in Vrindavan [in Uttar
Pradesh] by the Guild of Service and UN Women, revealed that the widows are living well below the
poverty line defined by the World Bank and the Planning Commission. Although 70 per cent of the women
had heard of the destitute widow's pension scheme, only a quarter of widows received the pension. UN
Women, formally known as the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of
Women, is the United Nations' most ambitious effort ever to accelerate actions to achieve gender
equality. Website launched Meanwhile, Partners for Law in Development (PLD) also launch the CEDAW
[Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women] South Asia website. This site has been
developed as a comprehensive resource for the South Asia region to facilitate regional sharing and to
strengthen implementation of CEDAW. The web resources have been produced by PLD with support
from UN Women to enable easy access to CEDAW related material. The website offers user-friendly
layout and gives basic yet comprehensive information. The content is layered, providing basic information
on CEDAW with the option of sourcing more detailed information. One can find country specific
information viz. ratification and reporting status of the countries in South Asia, the initial and periodic
reports, concluding observations, and theme-based information on the website. Information regarding
training events and announcements on women's rights in these countries, the region and beyond will also
be available from the site. LD is a legal resource group working in the fields of social justice and women's
rights in India that has contributed significantly in creating resources, providing capacity building and
advocacy on CEDAW in South Asia. (Hindu, 09/03/2011)
43% of underage married girls suffer marital violence: Survey
When Delhi-based researcher Shruti Chaudhry visited a village in Badaun district of Uttar Pradesh to
study migration, she stumbled upon two darker secrets of India's family life. Talking to women in Chabutra
village, she learned that most women got married when they were 14 to 16 years old. But that was not all.
"A husband of one of the women we talked to later told us that his wife had given wrong information,
which he wanted corrected. He added that he had soundly thrashed her for this," said a troubled Shruti.
Adolescent marriage and domestic violence are two widely prevalent but unacknowledged practices.
Recent studies on the married life of adolescent girls reveal a chilling link between the two. Anita Raj of
Boston University School of Public Health, involved in several such studies said that adolescent marriage
appears to be directly correlated with increased violence at home: emotional, physical and sexual,
practiced both by the husband and the in-laws. It is unabated even during pregnancy and motherhood.
And, most sobering of all, female children born to under-age mothers suffer from higher risks of dying
before they reach their fifth birthday. Raj led a study, published in the International Journal of Gynecology
and Obstetrics, of over 10,000 married women aged 20 to 24 years which showed that 43% of under-age
married women said they had been subject to marital violence, while 24% of adult-married women
reported such events. Severe, life-threatening violence was experienced by 16% of under-age married
women compared to 6% of adult married women. In another study of young mothers from a low-income
locality in Mumbai, Raj found that physical and non-physical abuse by husbands and in-laws continued
during pregnancy and while nursing new-borns. "I get up at 3 or 4 a.m. to get water. After that, I make
breakfast and prepare a lunch box for my father-in-law and sister-in-law. I make a separate lunch for my
mother-in-law, wash clothes and clean the house. I had to do my work whether I was pregnant or not. No
one helped me," said a 16-year-old mother quoted in Raj's study. The study documents hair-raising
accounts of denial of food and healthcare, beatings, forced drudgery, by the marital household. It showed
that violence by other family members was more likely when husbands were violent towards the wife. A
study by Jay Silverman of Harvard School of Public Health, Anita Raj and others has shown that underage marriage led to higher infant and child mortality rates of daughters and not sons compared to women
who were married in adulthood. Another study of married women in five Indian states by Delhi's
Population Council and Mumbai's International Institute of Population Studies showed that under-age
married women got less autonomy and were less likely to express opinions on domestic issues.
Importantly, under-age mothers were significantly less likely to have had their first delivery in a health
facility. Although the proportion of girls married off in the 15 to 19 year age group has declined from 56%
in 1971 to about 27% in 2006, it still means that over 1.5 crore girls are thus married. And, 16% of the age
group, that is about 2.4 lakh women had already become mothers or were pregnant, according to the
National Family & Health Survey-3. Raj says that these issues are compromising the health and
development of the country as a whole. But she is optimistic. "Fortunately recent movements in public
health in the country have recognized these issues as needing to be addressed," she says. (TOI,
09/03/2011)
In-laws were harassing Nidhi, father tells police
MUMBAI: A day after chartered accountant Nidhi Gupta flung her two children off the 19th storey of her
housing society in Malad and then jumped to her death, her father alleged that she was being mentally
harassed by her husband and in-laws. The Dindoshi police said they are speaking to the Guptas (the inlaws), but have not registered a formal case against anybody. They are waiting for Nidhi's father, Bimal
Jalan, to record his statement with the police. Nidhi was married to Pawan Gupta, an exporter of
readymade garments, for nine years. The couple had two children: Gaurav (6) and Mahika (3). Nidhi's
father, a Worli-based stockbroker, told mediapersons on Wednesday that his daughter was well educated
and was not someone who would take as drastic a step as suicide. "A suicide note could be written by
anyone," Jalan said. "Nidhi was being mentally tortured by her in-laws for several years." People close to
the Jalans said Nidhi was being humiliated at her husband's place. She was not allowed to do things the
way she wanted and was dominated by older women in the house. "I wanted to record my statement with
the police on Wednesday. But when I visited the police station, the concerned officers weren't around. I
will go there again on Thursday," Jalan said. The police have not zeroed in on the motive yet. "We have
recorded the statements of Pawan, his parents, brother Rakesh and sister-in-law Sunita. If Jalan files a
specific complaint against the Guptas about his daughter being harassed, we will book them on the
charge of abetting suicide," said regional additional commissioner Ramrao Pawar. A police officer said the
handwriting on the suicide note would be examined. (TOI, 10/03/2011)
Sonia determined to push through Women's Bill
Little over a year after the Rajya Sabha passed the Women's Reservation Bill, Congress president Sonia
Gandhi on Thursday said she was not satisfied with the less than 33 per cent representation of women in
Parliament. She is determined, Gandhi said, to get the Bill passed in Lok Sabha as well. “Women’s
representation in Parliament has hovered between 9 and 11 per cent, a figure that is considerably lower
than in many other democracies. Legislation for a 33% quota in Parliament and state Assemblies has
been passed by the Upper House. We shall persevere in our efforts to get it approved by the Lower
House as well,” Sonia Gandhi said addressing the Commonwealth Lecture in London on Thursday. She
added she was “less than happy” at the low representation of women in legislatures. Pointing at climate
change as a big challenge of the future, Gandhi asserted that “most climate debates have so far been
gender-blind” and advocated the need for enhancing women's role in protecting environment and
suggested Commonwealth to undertake fresh initiative to “bring women’s participation and perspectives
more squarely into the global negotiations” on climate change. “We need climate justice not only between
countries, but also between genders,” Sonia Gandhi said. In the wake of rising urbanisation, she also
called for collaboration among Commonwealth countries regarding creating urban environments
conducive for women's safety and security. “If urbanisation is the world’s future, we must design urban
environments and services in ways that will give women greater security, and educate and involve
citizens in this cause. A Commonwealth initiative bringing together our great cities to collaborate on this
issue would be timely,” Sonia suggested. Speaking on the topic of “Women as Agents of Change”,
Gandhi credited the “leading role” played by women in introduction of UPA government's flagship right to
information, a right to work, a right to education and soon, a right to food security legislations. “We now
have a right to information, a right to work, a right to education and soon, a right to food security. What is
remarkable about the rights debate and how it has progressed is the leading role women have played as
its champions and advocates,” Sonia Gandhi said. Incidentally, it was the Sonia Gandhi-led National
Advisory Council (NAC) in India that has framed these legislations in India. Sonia Gandhi, however,
expressed concern over discrimination against women in India, particularly in relatively prosperous states
like Punjab and Haryana. “In my own country, most worrying of all is the declining sex ratio of females to
males. The age-old preference for sons, coupled with the development of sex-selection technologies, has
given an alarming demographic twist to gender bias. That this is happening in regions of substantial
economic prosperity within the country is even more disturbing,” Sonia said in her London speech, the
copy of which was circulated by the Congress party in the Capital here. (IE, 18/02/2011)
NCW seeks review of SC order on gangrape
NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women has sought review of a recent Supreme Court
decision to reduce punishment to three gang rape convicts from 10 years to three-and-a-half years
imprisonment already undergone on the ground that they have reached a compromise with the victim and
14 years have passed since the incident. "Leniency in matters involving sexual offences is not only
undesirable but also against public interest," NCW said. While reducing the sentence, the bench asked
each of the three convicts to pay Rs 50,000 to the victim. "Considering the incident happened in 1997 and
that the parties have themselves entered into a compromise, we uphold the conviction of the appellant
but we reduce the sentence to the period of imprisonment already undergone.", the bench said. NCW
chairperson Girja Vyas called a meeting to discuss the case within days of the pronouncement of the
judgment and decided to file the review petition through advocate Aparna Bhat after obtaining legal
opinion. NCW's decision to seek review of the judgment is in sync with the Union government's proposal
to widen the definition of rape and make the punishment stringent. The statutory body, which is tasked to
initiate steps to improve the status of women, in its petition said compromise in rape cases was not legal,
but the February 22 judgment appeared to legitimise it. "Statistics maintained by the National Crime
Records Bureau show that there is an extremely low level of conviction in cases of rape. Hence, in rare
cases when there is actual conviction, reduction of sentence would set a wrong precedent encouraging
sessions courts and high courts to acknowledge compromise in cases of rape," NCW said. It said the
compromise was reached in 2007 when the convicts' petition was pending in SC. This meant the accused
were trying to get in touch with the prosecution, which led to criminal intimidation as well as violation of
terms of any bail order they may have got from a court, NCW said. (TOI, 21/03/2011)
50 p.c. quota for women in local bodies: two bills introduced
As promised by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, two bills to make amendments to
legislation on local bodies to grant women 50 per cent reservation in seats were introduced in the
Assembly on Thursday. One bill was introduced to amend the Bombay Village Panchayat Act 1958 and
the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act 1961 to increase the reservation for women
from one third of the total number of seats to one half of the total seats. The government wanted to raise
the total number of seats and offices for women in all three tiers of Panchayat Raj institutions as women
formed 50 per cent of the population. Another bill to amend the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, the
Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations Act 1949, the City of Nagpur Corporation Act, 1948 and the
Maharashtra Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships Act 1965 was introduced to
raise the reservation for women to 50 per cent. (Hindu, 25/03/2011)
Man arrested for raping daughter in Delhi
A middle-aged man was arrested in the capital for allegedly raping his 13-year-old daughter for the past
three years, police said today. The girl, a resident of Jakhira in north Delhi, claimed that her father would
rape her under the influence of alcohol. A Class VIII student in a government school, the girl said she had
even contemplated running away from the house to escape suffering at the hands of her father. Based on
the girl's statement, her father Tej Bahadur was arrested on Tuesday. A case of rape has been registered
at the Sarai Rohilla police station in this connection. Around 55 rape cases were reported in the capital
this year so far. The city has witnessed a sharp increase in rape and molestation cases last year since
2007. In 2010, the city witnessed 489 rape incidents, including the infamous Dhaula Kuan rape and
Mongolpuri, as against 2009's 459. The figures for 2006 was 609 followed by a drop to 581 next year
while in 2008 it further dipped to 466. Almost similar was the case with molestation cases in the capital in
these years but it showed an increase this year to 585 from last year's 532. While 2008 had 597 cases,
there were 835 incidents in 2007 and 713 in 609. In over 90% of such cases, the accused were known to
victims. (DNA, 24/03/2011)
Man jailed for 7 years jail for raping minor step daughter
A Delhi court has jailed a man for seven years for raping his minor step daughter after administering
sleeping pills to her and making her pregnant, leading to the birth of a premature baby which died three
days later. "The act of the convict is not only a crime but it is a sin towards the society as a whole. The
convict has committed such an offence which cannot be expected from a person in our society,"
Additional Sessions Judge Sudhir Kumar Jain said, while convicting 52-year-old Rohini resident Vishnu
Khandelwal. The court also imposed a fine of Rs9,000 on him, saying he took undue advantage of the
victim who was in his custody and care. "The act of the convict shattered the victim's dignity and violated
her human and basic rights to lead the life coupled with dignity and honour," the court said. As per the
prosecution's case, the victim's father died, after which her mother married Khandelwal and started living
with him as he was having a estranged relation with his first wife. The prosecution said the victim's mother
too died in May, 2007, leaving the victim and her younger sister in the man's custody, while their younger
brother preferred to stay with their maternal uncle. In February 2008, Khandelwal committed rape upon
the victim after administering sleeping pills to her. When he came to know that his 15-year-old step
daughter had become become pregnant, he threw her out of the house along with her younger sister. The
girl delivered a pre-mature baby in a nursing home in Rohini on July 20, 2008, but it died three days later.
The girl registered a complaint at the Rohini police station thereafter and Khandelwal was arrested. The
court said "their (women) honour and dignity cannot be touched or violated. They also have the right to
lead an honourable and peaceful life". Khandelwal, however, had contended that the girl was a
consenting party in the act and he had thrown her out only when she had started demanding share in his
property. The court, however, rejected his plea. (DNA, 24/03/2011)
Women get party tickets as token gesture: Ilina Sen
LUCKNOW: Even as a woman heads India's National Advisory Council and some others hold office of
chief minister and party chiefs, the issue of 33% of party tickets being given to women remains an
election rhetoric of political parties. Speaking to TOI on the sidelines of a seminar held to help women in
getting justice, Ilina Sen, professor of women studies at Mahatma Gandhi Antarashtriya Hindi University,
Wardha (Maharashtra) said, "It seems for political parties, winnability is the real issue rather than 33%
reservation, which translates into women empowerment. All the political parties, whether they are national
or state level, give only few seats to woman candidates and that too as a token gesture." The scenario at
the grassroots level is worse, as the real identity of the woman sarpanch is her husband or `sarpanch
pati', she said and added, the need of the hour is to ensure gender justice. When asked whether the
formation of an all-woman party can possibly answer to women's woes, Sen said, "There were some
voices in the recent past, which spoke about the formation of an all-women party. But, even among
women there is a lot of difference, hence this idea holds quite less water." Elaborating on women's
studies, the professor said, "Women study has evolved to a great extent in the last few years. The
studies, whose genesis were the women movements across the globe during 1970s, has played a vital
role in transforming the lives of ordinary women, who have become more conscious of their rights."
"According to me, women studies is the study of patriarchy and the power relation that exists in the
society. Interestingly, at Mahatma Gandhi Antarashtriya Hindi University, Wardha, 40% students enrolled
in women studies are boys. The only problem these male students have is during research, as women
folks find it difficult to communicate with them," Sen said. Stressing that daughters are mother's best
possible companion, Ilina, who has two daughters, said, "I feel sorry for a mother who does not have a
daughter. There are certain feelings and emotions that bonds this special relationship and unites them."
She was also of the view that women NGOs (non-government organisations) should give more emphasis
on analytical aspects of the problems, rather than limiting themselves to their respective area of
specialisation. On the 2011 Union budget, the professor of women studies said the country needs to give
more allocation of funds to the social sector. "Health, education, which constitute the social sector get
very less grant, as compared to the defence and security establishment. It certainly deserves more," Sen
said. When asked to comment on efforts being pursued to bail her husband Binayak out of the legal
tangle, Ilina said, "As I fight the long and painful legal battle to extricate Binayak from the clutches of the
penal administration, I realise that this battle is as much mine as that of any Indian citizen. Today, at
many levels and in many fora, people of India are struggling for the establishment of accountability and
transparency in our governance structures as befitting our status as the worlds largest democracy."
However, it is a sad reflection on our system that once a false case is registered in the name of security, it
is almost impossible to turn the clock back, even if facts stare us in the face that indicate that the case
had no basis, she added. Binayak Sen originally started working as a doctor extending health care to poor
people in the rural-tribal areas of the Chhattisgarh. While, Sen worked with the state government on
health sector reform, he also strongly criticised the government on human rights violations during antinaxal operations, while advocating non-violent political engagement. In May 2007, he was detained for
allegedly supporting the naxals, thereby violating the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Special Public
Security Act, 2005 (CSPSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967. The evidence presented
against him included his meetings with the jailed naxal leader Narayan Sanyal and certain documents
allegedly supporting his links with the naxals. Sen first applied for bail before the Raipur Sessions Court
and then the Chhattisgarh High Court in July 2007, soon after his arrest, but was granted bail by the
Supreme Court of India only on May 25, 2009. On 24 December 2010, the Raipur sessions' court found
him guilty of helping the naxals and sentenced him to life term. The conviction was criticised by his
supporters, who termed it as politically motivated. Binayak Sen is considered by Amnesty International to
be a prisoner of conscience. His application for suspension of sentence and release on bail pending
appeal, has been rejected by the Chhattisgarh High court. (TOI, 25/03/2011)
Married to Pak national, woman fights to keep children with her
A 29-year-old mother of three has appealed to the Kerala High Court not to arrest and deport her children,
all aged below 10, to Pakistan. The high court has stayed the deportation of the children for the next two
months and the state police have begun an inquiry on whether the visa period of the children, their father
and grand mother, all Pakistani nationals, should be extended or not. Eleven years ago, A K Haseena, a
native of Kathiroor in Kannur, married a Pakistani national, Shahid Mohiyudeen. Her husband, born to
Kerala-born parents who had migrated to Pakistan, was known to Haseena’s father, who too, had
migrated to that country. Her mother lived in Kerala. Since the marriage was solemnised in Pakistan, the
local mahallu committee in Kathirur did not issue any marriage certificate. The couple, both school
dropouts, apparently had no idea about the implications. With no document to prove their marriage,
Mohiyudeen had taken Haseena as his cousin — they are first cousins — to Pakistan on a one-month
visa, which was later extended to six months. As the visa period exhausted, Haseena illegally stayed
back and gave birth to two sons and a daughter, Shoib, Zainul and Husna, who are all Pakistani
nationals. In March, with only a month left for the expiry of her passport, Haseena surrendered before the
authorities and paid a fine, before being ordered out of the country. Mohiyudeen, the children and his
mother Fatima took a one-month visa to accompany Haseena to Kerala to stay with her mother before the
inevitable separation. Her misfortune stems from the fact that Haseena has no documents to prove to the
Indian authorities that she was legally married to Mohiyudeen, 35. As the parting day, April 30, was
nearing, Haseena moved a petition in the high court. “It’s a mother’s plea to live with her children. I cannot
live without my children,” she said. “After my eldest son was born, I wanted to come back to Kerala. But
fearing action against my illegal stay, I stayed back. As the size of the family grew, Mohiyudeen, a daily
wager in a shop, could not meet the expenses,” she added. The family of six managed to raise money for
their journey from Karachi to Lahore to Attari to Delhi and then to Kannur. As per documents, Haseena is
unmarried and the three children came along with their father and hence, have to go back with their
father. Mohiyudeen has sought a two-month extension of visa citing his mother’s poor health. Haseena’s
advocate C Khalid said, “We will apply for the children’s registration as Indian citizens under Section 54 of
the Citizenship Act, 1955.” (IE, 02/05/2011)
Wife has to prove cruelty to get maintenance: HC
MUMBAI: A woman has to prove cruelty, neglect or abandonment to claim maintenance from her
estranged husband, the Bombay high court has ruled. Striking down a family court's order that an
advocate from Nagpur has to pay a monthly maintenance of Rs 10,000 to his 66-year-old wife, an HC
division bench of Justice S A Bobde and Justice S B Deshmukh said Seema Patil had failed to prove any
of the charges against her husband, Nilesh: assault, neglect and having a mistress. Though the court
quashed the maintenance order, Nilesh offered to pay Rs 2,500 to Seema every month and also look
after her. "The (wife) failed to establish a case of desertion, neglect, refusal, abandonment or of cruelty to
her by her husband," said the bench, adding, that she had "also failed to establish the presence or
existence of a mistress/concubine/any other woman in the house or life of the husband, entitling her to
claim separate residence without forfeiting her right to maintenance". The couple who married in 1962,
have three grown-up children, all of whom are law graduates. Nilesh is a lawyer who practises in the HC
bench at Nagpur as well as in the Supreme Court. The couple started having differences from 1993 and
in 2001, Nilesh moved court for divorce on the grounds of cruelty. While his petition was dismissed,
Seema filed a case under the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, seeking maintenance, following
which, a family court in 2008, ordered Nilesh to pay Rs 10,000 to her. Under the Hindu law, a husband is
obliged to pay for his wife's maintenance and he can be relieved of the liability only if the marriage is
dissolved or if his wife dies or if she is proved to have committed adultery or if she converts to another
religion. A Hindu wife can seek maintenance on the grounds of cruelty, desertion, neglect or even claim
separate home if the husband brings his mistress to their matrimonial home. Though Seema claimed that
Nilesh had hit her twice, the HC could not find any documentary evidence. The charge of neglect also did
not hold water. "The wife could not have been deserted, abandoned or neglected by the husband as she
lives in the same house as her husband, sons and daughter-in-law." She had also been handed over the
possession of the matrimonial house after an agreement with Nilesh. (TOI, 04/05/2011)
HC notice to govt over practice of dayan pratha'
JAIPUR: A division bench of Rajasthan High Court has issued a notice to the state government, state
women's commission and director general of police seeking to know why effective steps were not been
taken against the dayan pratha' system prevailing in the state. Dayan pratha' is a tradition in many rural
areas where women are branded witches' and brutally tortured. The court issued the notices on a petition
filed by Nisha Siddhu, secretary of National Federation of Indian Women. The petitioner sought a proper
scheme for rehabilitation and protection of the women who have been branded dakan.' It also sought
protection of their properties from illegal grabbing, said petitioner's counsel Ajay Kumar Jain. The
petitioner wanted a directive to the state women's commission to create a special cell of eminent social
workers and sociologists to eradicate the barbaric system. It also wanted a fine to be imposed on the
whole village where such incidents occur and action against officers who have not acted on earlier
directions. (TOI, 04/05/2011)
Their strength brought winds of sweeping change
From trudging long distances to attend school and resisting family pressure to get married to taking up the
cudgels against liquor mafia and eradicating illiteracy, five brave girls and one woman have defied
insurmountable odds to become harbinger of change. Hailing from marginalised communities, they have
become role models and now want others to emulate them. Felicitated at an event organised by the
National Coalition for Education at the Gandhi Peace Foundation here on Tuesday, the six remarkable
achievers shared their stories. For Jainab, the only girl from her Uttar Pradesh village who recently
passed Class X, attending school meant walking six km on foot. “Most parents in our village discourage
their daughters from studying because the school is located at a considerable distance. They fear for the
safety of their daughters. I insisted on studying and my father agreed only after much persuasion. I have
finally got a bicycle, but want some social organisation to donate more bicycles so that more girls in our
village can attend school,” she says. Noting that dowry was the biggest social evil, Jainab asks how
parents can meet the dowry demand when they cannot even afford adequate food and education for their
daughters. “We have a law in this regard, but the problem lies in its implementation. Married women are
subjected to all kinds of torture; there are instances of their being burnt alive,” says the precocious girl.
Durga from Rajasthan demonstrated her strong will when she defied her father who asked her to
discontinue studies and get married. She managed to convince her father that 12 was not an appropriate
age to get married. “Despite all persuasion, I was told to stay at home as the boy's family was coming to
see me. I was helped by friends who requested my father not to go ahead with the marriage. Even now,
people in my village urge my parents to get me married, but they now want to educate me.” Life took an
ugly turn for Pappu Raika from Rajasthan when she was denied admission to a school as she had
become differently-abled. “With the intervention of the district education official, I was admitted to Class
VIII. I have facilitated admission of a number of deprived girls to school,” says Pappu, who seeks to
eradicate illiteracy from Chittorgarh district. After her HIV-positive parents died, Pooja from Uttarakhand
received care at the hands of Father Victor. Today Pooja and her brother fondly address him as Nanaji.
“After my father died suddenly, the burden of running the home fell on my mother. She started washing
dishes in a hotel, but she too succumbed to her illness. Nanaji started working again to support me and
my brother,” says Pooja, who intends to become a District Magistrate. Tasleem, a Class VIII student from
Indroli village in Rajasthan, motivated parents to send their daughters to school. But they quarrelled with
her father, a truck driver. Instead of coming down, Tasleem approached the Block Development Officer. “I
have finally managed to get five girls enrolled in schools. The girls who were herding buffaloes are now
getting educated.” Bharti from Bihar survived three brutal attacks while fighting against the liquor mafia.
“Consumption of liquor is the root cause of exploitation of women. The police are hand-in-glove with the
mafia,” says Bharti, who is seen as a social crusader in her village. (Hindu, 04/05/2011)
243 girls go missing in Hassan district from January 2010
At least one girl goes missing in Hassan district in every two days. According to the district crime records
bureau, as many as 243 girls have gone missing between January 2010 and April 2011. Among them,
120 were below the age of 18 years. In 171 cases, the girls either came back or were traced. The police
are still investigating the remaining cases. However, sources said the investigating officials had not been
able to make any breakthrough in these cases. The blog (sphsn.blogspot.com) of the Hassan police is
filled with such cases. In April, in a span of five days, three girls went missing in the district. One case
each was reported from Kyatanahalli in Holenarasipur taluk and Arehalli in Belur taluk. In another
incident, a woman and her two-year old son went missing from Bandilakkanakoplu near Halebid in Belur
taluk on April 24. Opposition Superintendent of Police Amit Singh said that in many cases, girls had
reportedly left their home with boyfriends to get married, in the wake of opposition from their parents.
Skipping tactics A few days ago, a girl went missing in Arsikere only to avoid marriage scheduled for next
month. She was not ready to marry the boy chosen by her parents. “However, we cannot rule out
possibilities of human trafficking,” Mr. Singh said. The police have decided to constitute a special squad
to probe such cases. “The special squad will collect data of such cases reported in the last one year and
investigate them. The squad will probe whether girls, who went missing, had become victims of human
trafficking,” Mr. Singh said. (Hindu, 06/05/2011)
Police guidelines on ‘pravasi' marriages
The Kerala police, in guidelines on ‘pravasi' marriages, have come out with a set of don'ts for women from
India marrying an Indian citizen residing abroad or a person of Indian origin with foreign citizenship.
Foremost among the guidelines is an advice that an Indian woman should on no account take a decision
in haste by bowing to pressure from others. She should not enter into an alliance merely for getting fresh
pastures abroad or a green card. Alliances should not be fixed over the telephone or through email
without seeing the family members. Alliances should not be fixed with keenness and in haste merely
because one got the impression that everything was fine. Marriages should not be fixed merely on the
basis of talks with a bureau, agent or broker and by blindly believing what they say. Find out whether the
claims made about the groom on marriage websites are correct. Marriages should not be fixed in secrecy.
If the details are discussed with close persons, friends or relatives it might yield information that no other
source could provide. An Indian woman should not agree to the conduct of marriage in a foreign country.
She should, on no account, accept money offered by the husband or his nominee for separation. If there
is pressure in this regard, she should inform the authorities about it. If the husband abandons the wife in
India or abroad, or if he or his relatives harasses her, she should not remain silent. She should
immediately approach the authorities. Bogus documents should not be made or used for going abroad. A
woman should, on no account, become a partner in unlawful activities however much the pressure or
inducement is. She should not succumb to pressure for taking legal action in the country in which the
husband is residing. She can file a case in India. She should not succumb to pressure for involving in the
case filed by the husband in the country in which he is residing. She should keep in mind the fact that in
divorce cases, the laws are more favourable to women in India than in any other country. A woman need
not worry if her husband obtains divorce in another country with or without their knowledge. It will not
have any legal validity in India. It will have legal validity in India only if she appeared as a party in the
case. A woman should not defame the husband or his relatives if she thinks that the husband is going to
file a case against her. She should disclose things only in legally appropriate forums such as the police,
advocate, social worker or court. She should not take the law into her hands to wreak vengeance. Strongarm tactics should not be adopted against the husband or his relatives to solve problems. If there is any
problem, She should approach the government agency authorised to handle it. She should never file any
false or meaningless complaint. (Hindu, 09/05/2011)
Minor murdered after sexual assault in Haryana
ROHTAK: Just two days after incident of rape and murder of a teenaged girl in Kurukshetra, body of an
unidentified minor girl was recovered from a canal near Sampla town of Rohtak district during late evening
hours on Saturday. With almost half naked, body was found dumped near the banks of the canal.
Preliminary investigations suggested that the victim was strangulated after sexual assault. The police
have started the investigations after registering a murder case at Sampla police station. "We have sent
her viscera to establish sexual assault to the forensic lab at Madhuban in Karnal", sub inspector Hari Om
Singh, the investigation officer of the case said. It is believed that she has been kidnapped from some
other places and body was abandoned here after the crime, added Singh. Even as the medical
confirmation is yet to be received, but forensic investigations have strongly indicated towards theory of
murder after rape. The victim appears to be of 12 years of age and wore plastic bangles. The
decomposed condition of the body indicated that she had dumped in the canal about 12 days back. It is
worth mentioning that Sweeti, a 16 year old girl fell prey to similar kind of crime which took place in
Kurukshetra. She was abducted by unknown youths on her way to bus stand to pick her father on scooter
on Wednesday night. Next morning her body was next morning found in the fields in Samgoi village,
about 20 km away. The police has not been able to nab or even identify the accused in any of these two
cases so far. (TOI, 09/05/2011)
Girl, 15, forced to wed, police comes to rescue
Locked up in a room for a week before being forcibly married off in filmi-style to a cousin, a 15-year-old
girl was rescued by the police in Ariyalur and promised help to return to school. The police said the Class
10 student was forced by her mother into marrying her 19-year-old cousin so as to unburden
responsibilities since her husband died and the family was poor. Putting up a stiff fight against her family,
Geetha (name changed) appro-ached the local social welfare officials who took her to the police station
and lodged a complaint. The mother, the groom and his parents have gone missing after the police
registered a case of child marriage and sent the girl to be with a kind relative recently. Ariyalur SP Najmul
Hoda said, “The girl was kept locked up in a room in the house of her father-in-law, who’s her mother’s
brother, for a week before the marriage took place. It appears that the mother decided to marry off the girl
as soon as her husband died. She thought her daughter would then be safer. This situation is not
uncommon among the rural poor.” He promised to help Geetha to continue her studies. Reacting to the
child marriage incident, R.Vasuki, commissioner, state social welfare department, said Geetha’s marriage
was null and void in legal terms as the girl was barely 15. “It is against law to marry off a girl child before
she turns 18. We will take up this Ariyalur case very strongly,” said the senior bureaucrat here. Though
the “National Plan for Children 2005” had aimed at abolishing child marriage by 2010, a recent study by
the Population Council of India said about a fifth of the women population in the country were found to
have been married before turning 15 and around 50 per cent before reaching 18, the legal marriageable
age. (AA, 09/05/2011)
47% of young Indian women marry before 18
MUMBAI: That India marries off its daughters in such a hurry that they have little time to grow out of their
teens is a fact that no longer raises eyebrows. But what should come as a shock to a country that preens
itself over its growing economic prowess is that we fare worse than sub-Saharan Africa, or for that matter,
all of Africa put together, when it comes to child marriage. If that's not bad enough, sample this. The
degree to which child marriage is practised in India is more than double the figure for Pakistan, a country
we don't quite look up to as a role model. While India would like to believe that it will one day break into
the league of countries such as the US and UK, we can take solace from the fact that a worldwide
scorecard on child marriage shows that we're better off than Bangladesh, Mali and Burkina Faso. The US
and UK dont even figure on the list. A 2011 data sheet called `The World's Women and Girls', released by
the Washington-based Population Reference Bureau, shows that 47% of women in India between the
ages of 20 and 24 were married by 18. This is higher than the average for South Central Asia (45%), of
which India is a part. The average for Africa as a continent works out to 34%. Most African countries fare
better than India, including Ghana, Sudan and Nigeria. While Pakistan's score works out to 24%, even
Afghanistan, with a pathetic score of 43%, does a better job than India when it comes to curbing child
marriage. Vibhuti Patel, director, post graduate studies and research (PGSR) and head of the PG
economics department at SNDT University, who was an early advocate of India's feminist movement,
points to the rather strange link between child marriage and the success of some of India's welfare
schemes such as the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).
SSA helps schoolgirls till Class IV, after which there are a large number of dropouts and ICDS children in
the age group of 0-6. As a result adolescent girls, who mostly drop out after Class VII as they can't cope
up with math, science and English, don't have to look after their younger siblings. ``In the absence of any
programmes targeting adolescent girls in terms of vocational training or life-skill development by the state
or by civil society groups, many parents are worried that these girls, who are now free of responsibility
and have a lot of time on their hands, may end up in premarital relationships and turn unwed mothers,''
she said. That's why parents in even progressive states like Gujarat and Maharashtra marry off their
daughters at an early age, said Patel. Pointing to the health consequences of child marriage, P
Arokiasamy of the International Institute of Population Science, Mumbai, says child marriage has much to
do with the low status of women in India. Arokiasamy says the practice has more to do with culture than
development. Sex ratio in Africa is better than India since several tribal societies are matriarchal. In India,
regions where the status of women is low, such as Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand, have more child
marriages. Even in Andhra Pradesh, which has a low fertility rate, a large proportion of women are
married in their teens. Meanwhile, states like Himachal Pradesh, Goa and Jammu and Kashmir fare a lot
better. (TOI, 10/05/2011)
Teacher strangled to death over dowry
A twenty-five-year-old Government schoolteacher was allegedly strangulated to death by her husband
and mother-in-law over dowry in Paschim Vihar. The husband then hanged the woman with a ceiling fan
to mislead the police and show a case of suicide. The deceased, Rekha was a temporary schoolteacher
at a Government school in Padav Nagar and was a resident of Shubham Colony of Paschim Vihar. She
had been married for three years to 35-year-old Sanjeev, also a schoolteacher of an MCD school of
Khyala and had a small child. On Monday evening, Rekha was beaten up and later strangled to death by
her husband in connivance with his mother. The duo then to escape arrest hanged her from the ceiling
fan and went out of the apartment. “Sanjeev went out to the market while the mother, 55-year-old Omlata,
returned to her house in Nangloi. Sometime later, their neighbour came to their apartment and saw the
body hanging from the fan. He called up Sanjeev and rushed Rekha to Balaji hospital where she was
declared dead,” told a police official. For several weeks, the family had been demanding dowry from
Rekha and beating her up frequently. “They had been demanding `2 lakh and used to beat up her every
other day over the issue. She was extremely unhappy with them,” claimed Satyprakash, father of the girl,
in his statement. As per Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) V Ranganathan, “The police were
informed to investigate the case. On interrogation, we found Sanjeev suspicious therefore he along with
his mother was taken into custody.” A case was registered at the Paschim Vihar police station. “The body
of the deceased has been sent for post-mortem at DDU Hospital and further investigation is in progress. It
would be only after the enquiry that more could be said about the murder case,” said the DCP. (Pioneer,
11/05/2011)
Sonia stress on empowering girls
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday stressed the need to empower members of the fairer
sex, saying that a country could not develop without all-round development of the women. ''A woman
spends half of her life in distress despite her big contribution to the family and society,'' she said.
Addressing a function of the Rajiv Gandhi Kishori Sashatikaran organised by the Union Ministry for
Women and Child Welfare at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium of the ITI in Rae Bareli, Sonia Gandhi said a
woman should be given an opportunity to develop herself. ''Women comprise half of the population of the
country but still they lack adequate attention,'' she said. Talking about girl empowerment, the Congress
president said the country was banking on the talents of girls, who were directly related to the
development of the nation. Sonia, who is also chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, said it was
the dream of her husband, late Rajiv Gandhi, to empower adolescent girls in the age group of 11-14 years
who dropped out of school as well as adolescent girls in the age group of 14-18 years, and to fulfil this
dream they had launched Sabla, the Rajiv Gandhi scheme for empowerment of adolescent girls, in the
country's 200 selected districts, including Rae Bareli, on November 19 last year. Sonia, who is also
chairperson of the National Advisory Council, gave away cheques to six women who had contributed
through Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the region. The Congress president later reviewed the progress of
the Rail Coach0 Factory at Lalganj and held a meeting with the officials inside the first AC coach
assembled there. She expressed satisfaction at the progress of the construction works at the RCF and
hoped that the first rake of 11 AC-3 Tier coaches would roll out in October. The meeting was disrupted for
some time as a mild dust storm lashed the area. The Congress leader also asked the officials to gear up
to make RCF one of the best factories of the country. Sitting inside the first AC 3 Tier coach manufatured
by RCF, Sonia Gandhi enquired about the latest green technology used for these new passenger-friendly
coaches. Sonia was expected to meet the family members of six labourers who died after inhaling
poisonous gas emanating from a well in Shivgarh area on Wednesday morning. The labourers had
entered the well to clean it in Baburi village. The victims included Anil Viz (20), Ramakant (22), Durgesh
(24), Shankarlal (50), Rinku (20) and Harkesh (25). The Congress leader would return to New Delhi on
Thursday afternoon after attending the district vigilance committee meeting. (Pioneer, 12/05/2011)
Man kills wife for bearing girl child
KURNOOL: A pregnant woman was allegedly beaten to death by her husband in Shankarmatham mandal
in Kurnool district after he found out that she was bearing a girl child. Breaking all rules, a private
scanning centre in the town had conducted the sex determination test to confirm that it was a female
foetus. The accused, Prakash Chari, mercilessly beat up his wife Surekha, who was six months pregnant,
and strangled her in their home in Pedda Market Street late on Tuesday night. Neighbours rushed a
severely injured Surekha to hospital where she succumbed in the early hours of Wednesday. Sources
said Chari nursed a grudge against his wife ever their first child, a daughter, was born a few years ago.
"When Surekha conceived again six months ago, Chari wanted a boy. He took her to a scanning centre
which confirmed that she would be giving birth to a girl. Seething with rage, the accused hit her badly.
Later, Surekha died in hospital," sources said. Chari was taken into custody and a case registered against
him. Meanwhile, district collector Ram Shankar Naik said criminal action would be initiated against Pavan
scanning centre for carrying out the sex determination test, which is banned. Sources said apart from
imposing a fine of Rs 10,000, the scanning centre management people would be sent to jail for two years,
if convicted. Meanwhile, locals demanded the strongest punishment to Chari for murdering his six-month
pregnant wife. They took out a rally in the town. In a similar incident, another pregnant woman, Sujatha,
was burnt to death, allegedly by her husband Ramalingeshwar after he assumed that she was carrying a
female foetus. He poured kerosene on her and set her on fire. (TOI, 12/05/2011)
Woman hangs self after forced talaq
LUCKNOW: A 26-year-old woman committed suicide on Tuesday night after a panchayat in Kushinagar
district declared her marriage null and void without her knowledge. Last Sunday, as the panchayat in
Harka Baijnathpur, a hamlet in Kushinagar, decreed termination of her three-year-old marriage, a carefree
Harunnisa totally oblivious of the fact, was preparing lunch in her backyard. She had been staying with
her parents for the past two-and-ahalf months following a bitter quarrel with husband Rabil Ahmad and
hoped to return back after a patch up. A distressed Harunnisa did meet Rabil after learning about the
forced talaq only to be told she had become haram for him and could not stay under the same roof.
Harunnisa hanged herself on Tuesday night in a shed right across her marital home. And even as the
police have rounded up Rabil and his father Hadis for abetment to suicide and attempt to mislead
investigation, the three panchas, fearing a backlash from the villagers, have gone into hiding. "We are
waiting for the deceased's father Diljan to lodge a complaint and will surely arrest them," said the
inspector Kotwali, Mohammad Kazi Ibrahim. Local sources however fear that the man, a landless
labourer, may not press the issue against the influential group and drop the matter. "She is already dead
and gone and will not come back. So, what is the point in raking up mud," a morose Diljan told TOI on
Wednesday. "The sudden divorce proved to be too shocking for the girl," said inspector Kazi. Harunnisa,
according to him, had no clue that her father-inlaw and husband have called for a panchayat, he said.
Although her father was duly informed and he did take part in the proceedings. The couple did not get
along too well as Rabil had turned an alcoholic and Harunnisa resented this. In fact this was the reason
she had left her marital home three months ago. After Rabil assured her that he had reformed she
accompanied him back. But when the man came back drunk the next day, she left the house in a huff and
went off to neighbouring Gorakhpur on an impulse, probably trying to avoid going back to her father so
soon. This trip was given various interpretations by her in-laws and sealed her fate. Her husband and his
family decided that a divorce was the only remedy to teach the `wayward' woman a lesson, Mehtab Alam,
one of the relatives said. Harunnisa came to know about the talaq only on Sunday when her father broke
the news, says Kazi. The girl was distraught and told her sister she wanted her marriage to work and had
never expected this. She even trudged 16 km to reach her in-laws' place and to talk to Rabil. However,
she was denied entry and bluntly told that Rabil and she were no more man and wife and she must go
back to her parental home. Since it was already night, she requested them to allow her a shelter.
Harunnisa was directed to the shed across the house where she hanged herself in the middle of the night.
Rabil and her family then tried to project her death as an accident by setting fire to the shed. However, the
post mortem report clearly showed that the girl was dead much before and was charred later, Kazi
claimed. Meanwhile, news has angered the villagers who are now demanding action against the panchas
as well. "They will not be spared," the inspector said who is waiting for a formal complaint. But
considering the disparity between the panchas and Diljan the wait may proved to be too long or futile.
(TOI, 12/05/2011)
Tantrik arrested for sexually exploiting college student
An occultist has been arrested here for allegedly sexually exploiting a college student and making
obscene videos of her, police said today. Based on a complaint filed by the BA student, police arrested
Sadhu Vinod alias Vishwantranand, who claims to possess supernatural powers, last evening, SSP R K S
Rathore said. According to the complaint, the student, who was ill for sometime, went to the tantrik to
seek his blessings but Vishwantranand sexually exploited her for at least 10 months on pretext of curing
her ailments, the official said. The complainant also alleged that the man made several obscene video
clips of her. However, Vishwantranand defended himself saying he married the girl, a claim which was
rubbished by the student, police said, adding that the occultist admitted that he made sexual relations
with other women who visited him for tantrik treatment. An FIR has been registered in this regard and
further probe is on, the official said. (Deccan Herald, 18/05/2011)
‘Sex-for-marks’: Report confirms scandal, MP govt promises action
The Madhya Pradesh government has accepted all recommendations made by a committee that probed
the ‘sex-for-marks’ scandal in Jabalpur’s NSCB Medical College. A First Year student had blown the lid
off the scandal in February this year when she alleged that her senior and hostel-mate had asked her to
sleep with certain persons if she wanted to clear the subjects in which she had failed. A committee
headed by former vice-chancellor of Rewa University Prof A D N Vajpai submitted its report to Chief
Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Sunday. Chouhan called a meeting of senior officials on Monday and
said strict action would be taken against officers, employees and teachers of the Jabalpur Medical
College who have been prima facie found involved in criminal activities. Their cases would be handed
over to the police for further investigation. The 46-page report filed by the committee has confirmed the
allegations levelled by Sandhu Arya, a First Year student who has since been transferred to Gwalior’s
Medical College to save her from possible victimisation. In the first action after the report was submitted,
the Finance Officer of Rani Durgavati University, to which the college is affiliated, has been transferred.
The report has found over a dozen persons guilty, including Examination Controller S S Rana, and
officials of the re-evaluation and confidential sections of the university. Failed students could clear the
examination by simply applying for re-evaluation. Irrespective of how they performed they were
guaranteed required marks to clear the papers. Arya had accused her senior Prerna Atwal of forcing her
to sleep with Raju Khan, a contractor and former student leader. Khan, also behind bars, had been given
a contract to build a hostel, and had been reportedly paid Rs 55 lakh for construction worth Rs 35 lakh.
The former student leader, once associated with NSUI, enjoyed much clout in the college and the
examination section of the university. The government has asked the Chief Technical Inspector of the
Public Works Department to probe the irregularities committed in construction works of the Jabalpur
University. Prof of Department of Ophthalmology Dr Meeta Shrivastava has already been suspended.
She will be served a chargesheet for being negligent in her duty as a warden. The state government has
requested the Governor, who is the Chancellor of universities, to immediately take disciplinary action
against the teachers, officers and employees named in the report. (IE, 18/05/2011)
Representation of women in Assembly declines
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee may be on her way to becoming the first woman Chief
Minister of West Bengal, but the number of women elected to the State Assembly has actually declined in
the recently concluded elections. There are only 34 women who have been elected to the Assembly in
these polls, a little over one-tenth of the total strength of the House. Their numbers have declined from
the 37 women who were elected in 2006. The number has declined despite an increase in the number of
candidates from 139 in 2006 to 175 in these polls. The number of women MLAs elected in 2001 was 28
out of a total 114 women who contested. Ms. Banerjee's party itself accounts for most of the women
elected in the current polls. Of the 184 Trinamool MLAs, 24 are women. National Award-winning actress
Debasree Roy, who defeated Communist Party of India (Marxist) heavyweight Kanti Ganguly; Sonali
Guha, who has been elected on a Trinamool ticket for the third time; and Phiroza Bibi, who lost her son in
the police firings at Nandigram are among those who have been elected. Among the Trinamool's women
MLAs are Shashi Panja, Shikha Chowdhury (Mitra) and Smita Bakshi — all of whom are related to
prominent leaders of the party. All of them, along with Mala Saha, have been elected from constituencies
within Kolkata. Indeed, Kolkata is the only centre in the State where there is a semblance of gender
equality, with four women among the total 11 MLAs from the city. The Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Uttar
Dinajpur, Howrah and Birbhum districts have not elected a single woman. The Congress and the Left,
among the most vociferous supporters for the Women Reservation Bill, together account for 10 women
MLAs in West Bengal. Only four of the 42 Congress MLAs are women. (Hindu, 19/05/2011)
Dowry claims another woman’s life in Najafgarh
In another incident of dowry killing, a newly-wed woman was allegedly tortured to death by her husband
and in-laws in south-west Delhi’s Najafgarh on Monday. The deceased woman has been identified as
Meenakshi Sherawat (23) who was married to Ajay Sherawat (31) around nine months ago, according to
police. The deceased’s father-in-law and mother-in-law have been detained while her husband and
brother-in-law are absconding, police said. “The incident was reported on Monday around 10 pm from a
private hospital at Najafgarh where Meenakshi’s in-laws had brought her claiming that she fell down from
staircase in the house and suffered serious injuries. Meenakshi’s mother, Lakshmi Devi and her brother,
Sunil (30) along with other relatives also reached the hospital. They called the police and we rushed
Meenakshi to Rao Tula Ram Hospital where she was declared brought dead,” a senior police official said.
“Meenakshi appeared very frail. Her head and other parts of her body bore several marks of injury. There
were also blood spots on the body. It appears that she was being tortured for the past several months.
The body was handed over to her family after a post-mortem examination,” the official said, adding the
immediate cause of her death would be known only after the post-mortem report is out. The family of the
deceased alleged that Meenakshi was murdered by her husband and in-laws over dowry. “Meenakshi’s
mother and brother told police that Ajay and her parents had been making a demand of several lakhs of
rupees and a four wheeler. When they failed to meet these demands, they killed her,” the official said. “A
case under 304B (dowry death) and 498A (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to
cruelty) of the Indian Penal Code has been filed against Ajay, his parents — Ramesh and Sumitra Gehlot,
and his brother Pravin. Ramesh and Sumitra have been detained while Ajay and Pravin are absconding,”
the official said. Sunil told police, “Meenakshi and Ajay were married in April 2010. Things were going well
after the marriage. But after around two months, things began to deteriorate when they started to demand
Rs 5 lakh and a four-wheeler. A few months later, we managed Rs 2 lakh and gave them. But things
never remained like before. They would prevent me from meeting her by putting up various excuses. It
had been around one-and-a-half month that we had heard from her.” Narendra Pal, Meenakshi’s uncle,
said, “Meenakshi’s husband and her in-laws had confined her inside a room and would not give her
enough food. They would torture her both physically and mentally. They would torment her by giving her
electric shocks.” Ajay is employed with Metlife Insurance and Pravin, who is an engineer, is employed
with a multinational company. Ramesh, Ajay’s father is a DTC bus driver. (Pioneer, 19/05/2011)
Trafficking victim allegedly raped by agent
The 16-year-old girl rescued along with eight other minors by the Delhi Police Crime Branch after the
arrest of a human trafficking agent and a co-owner of a domestic help placement agency at Shakurpur
here in the Capital recently was allegedly raped by the agent. The victim had been brought from Assam
and handed over allegedly to Praveen and his wife Babita, who ran the placement agency. She
purportedly disclosed that she was raped by their agent Ismail Ahmed. While Babita and Ismail have been
arrested, the police are on the look-out for Praveen and five of his agents. Praveen is suspected to have
trafficked over 200 minors into the Capital in the past eight years. “It is a fact that several victims of
trafficking end up being assaulted and raped. In one such case, a 13-year-old girl was recently trafficked
from Jalpaiguri in West Bengal for a placement agency in Punjabi Bagh. She was gang-raped in Sadar
Bazar and then placed as a domestic help in a house in neighbouring Gurgaon,” said Rishi Kant of nongovernment organisation Shakti Vahini that took part in the rescue operation at Shakurpur. Another victim
rescued by the NGO had become pregnant after she was raped in Gurgaon last year. “In yet another
case, a 15-year-old girl from Darjeeling disclosed that while being brought to Delhi she was forced to
swallow some tablets after which she fell unconscious and then was raped,” said Mr. Kant. He said a
large number of placement agencies operating in Delhi are trafficking minors, mostlyadivasi children from
West Bengal, Jharkhand and Assam. “There has been a steep rise in trafficking cases in the recent past.
We have information that about 8,600 minors were missing from different parts of West Bengal till last
October. A large number of children are missing from Siliguri and Purulia districts. We suspect that most
of them have been trafficked to various places including Delhi, which has become a major destination and
transit point. About 6,000 minors are missing from different districts of Jharkhand.” The human trafficking
gangs rope in mostly women as carriers to evade detection. “One group of carriers generally does not
know the other and hence it becomes difficult for us to unearth the entire racket. However, a constant vigil
at railway stations can help bust such gangs,” said Mr. Kant. These agencies employ various means to
project themselves as genuine suppliers of domestic helps. In the latest case, the accused had got
printed verification forms similar to those used by the police to hoodwink employers. They would have
fingerprints of the victims on these forms. Mr. Kant said about 6,000 placement agencies are presently
operating in the Capital. “We suspect that of these, over 1,000 agencies are located in Shakurpur. There
is no effective regulatory mechanism in place for these agencies, most of which are exploiting trafficked
children and women,” he added. As part of an anti-human trafficking drive, the Delhi Police have
constituted a dozen teams to carry out rescue operations. “One team has been created in each district
and a nodal team of the Crime Branch has been set up under the supervision of Additional Deputy
Commissioner of Police P.S. Kushwah,” said a police officer. (Hindu, 20/05/2011)
Priest arrested on rape charge
A 47-year-old temple priest has been arrested for allegedly raping a 17-year-old in her house in
Seemapuri here earlier this month. The incident comes close on the heels of the arrest of a priest in
Timarpur earlier this month on a similar charge. Sarva Narayan Jha, who was arrested at Darbhanga in
Bihar on Monday, is a priest in Tahirpur. He was known to the victim's family for the past 15 years, the
police said. He recently told the girl's father that a “pooja” needed to be performed for her better future.
The girl's parents went away on May 2, leaving her alone at home for the “pooja”. Taking advantage of
the situation, the priest allegedly raped her. (Hindu, 20/05/2011)
Woman gangraped, murdered by chairman of civic body
Close on the wheels of alleged rape of a minor by two constables, the chairman of a civic body and the
son of a senior BJP leader allegedly killed a woman after outraging her modesty in Sawaimadhopur
district, police said today. The four accused, including the Chairman of Sawaimadhopur Nagar Palika, the
son of BJP leader Rampal Jaat and the son of PA to Collector, besides a person named Rajkumar Sahu,
were today booked for allegedly raping and poisoning to death the 22-year old woman yesterday, they
said. "When we received information by locals, we took the body in our possession last night and a
postmortem was conducted today. Prima facie, she died due to poison," an investigating officer said,
adding the woman's family members were hesitant to inform police and she died on way to SMS Hospital
here. "Family members of the girl lodged an FIR today against four persons-- Kamlesh Jaliea (local Nagar
Palika Chairman), Manoj Parashar (the son of PA to Collector), Ballu (BJP leader Rampal Jaat's son) and
Sahu," he said. Pooranmal, father of the victim, alleged in the FIR that the accused took the girl in a
vehicle yesterday from his house on the pretext of some work in Nagarpalika and later they found her in
unconscious state in the house of Kamlesh, the officer said. No one has been arrested in this connection
so far and the matter is being investigated. Jaliea was not available for comments while Rampal Jaat,
former BJP state general secretary and currently a working committee member, said the case was
politically motivated and his son was not involved in the matter, police said. (IE, 19/05/2011)
Hyderabad father rapes daughter, DNA says child belongs to her brother
A father who allegedly raped his 14-year-old daughter and the victim's elder brother, who joined him in
the crime, have moved the Supreme Court challenging the life imprisonment awarded to them for the
offence. Syed Issaq and his son Syed Shahabuddin, both residents of Hafeez Baba Nagar in
Hyderabad's Old City, claimed that they have been falsely implicated by the victim's mother Safia Banu.
Counsel G Madhavi, appearing for the duo, claimed that the conviction recorded by the sessions court
and upheld by Andhra Pradesh High Court was erroneous as they were convicted on the basis of a DNA
report which established that the foetus in the victim's womb was that of Shahabuddin. Madhavi said that
the DNA test could not have been the basis for the duo's conviction as the victim, after making a
statement to police that the brother too had raped her, subsequently turned hostile during the trial. During
the trial she merely testified against her father for repeatedly raping her. The petitioner submitted that the
DNA test was not a reliable piece of evidence. According to the petition, despite the fact that the victim
had turned hostile and refused to name her brother Shahabuddin, the trial court awarded the maximum
sentence of life imprisonment permissible under Section 376 IPC (rape) for the father and son. It was the
prosecution's case that the victim was repeatedly raped by the father when his wife went out for work as a
maid servant. The brother too on certain occasions is said to have committed the heinous offence. The
girl was threatened with dire consequences if she revealed the matter to anybody. Though the victim had
initially brought the matter to the notice of her paternal grandmother, the latter is said to have silenced her
saying "such things keep happening in every home and there was nothing unusual". However, the girl
complained about stomach pain to her mother and sister-in-law who took her to a hospital where she was
declared pregnant. On the basis of the complaint lodged by the trio, police arrested the father and son on
April 20, 2005. (DNA, 22/05/2011)
Man slit's wife's throat for giving birth to daughters
A deputy commercial tax officer allegedly slit the throat of his wife for giving birth to two daughters in
Andhra Pradesh's East Godavari district, police said today. The accused K. Satish Kumar (47) of
Bhimavaram in West Godavari district married Padamavathi (39) of Tatipaka of East Godavari district 10
years ago. According to the police complaint filed by Padmavathi's family members, the accused, despite
taking Rs one crore in dowry, allegedly began to harass the victim along with his parents since the past
six months for giving birth to two daughters. He also began to demand more dowry from her, they said.
Last night, he secretly admitted Padmavathi to a corporate hospital, where doctors found many knife cuts
and cigarette burns on her body, besides her slit throat, police said. Following this Padmavathi's parents
registered a complaint with Rajahmundry police. The case has been transferred to Prakash Nagar police
station limits for further investigation. On doctor's advice the victim has been shifted to a hospital in
Amalapuram for treatment, police adding that Satish Kumar is absconding and hunt is on to nab him. (AA,
23/05/2011)
Woman, child killed for dowry
JAIPUR/JAISALMER: A 22-yearold woman and her infant daughter were allegedly murdered by her
inlaws for dowry in Gudhamalani villagein Barmer district. In order to make it look like a case of suicide,
they dumped their bodies at a village well. However, after investigation police arrested four persons
including two women for allegedly murdering Jheema and her daughter. Terming it to be dowry death
police said that Jheema was married to one Devilal some time ago. However, she was allegedly
assaulted by her in-laws and husband for dowry. Ram Singh Meena, additional superintendent of police,
Barmer, said, "On May 19 the victim's in-laws informed us that she had committed suicide along with her
6-month-old daughter by jumping into the well. After visiting the spot it was clear that drowning did not
cause her to die as she had fatal injuries on the head." Meena added, "Without saying anything to them
we sent the bodies for post mortem. After it was confirmed that the death was caused due to head
injuries, we round up four persons including the grandmother-inlaw, mother-in-law, father-inlaw
Hukmaram and husband Devi Lal for interrogation on May 20," Meena said. The ASP added that all the
four accused said Devilal had a scuffle with Jheema in which he hit her with an iron rod and she died.
"Later, to give it shape of suicide they dumped the body into the well and also threw the 6-monthold girl
who was alive into the same well," Nazim Ali, deputy superintendent of police, Barmer said. "On Sunday
all the accused were arrested and produced before a local court on Monday. Both the women were sent
to judicial custody while the husband of the deceased and her father-in-law were taken in police remand
of two days," he added. Police have registered a case under various sections including 302, 120-B and
398A of IPC. (TOI, 24/05/2011)
Millions murdered before birth
Selective abortion of girls in India prevented well over 4.2 million to 12.1 million girls from being born
between 1980 and 2010, with the largest number of girls being aborted in the 1990s, a new survey has
revealed. Selective abortion of girls, especially for pregnancies after a firstborn girl, has increased
substantially in India. Most of India's population now lives in States where selective abortion is common,
says the study, “Trends in selective abortions of girls in India: Analysis of nationally representative birth
histories from 1990 to 2005 and Census data from 1991 to 2011,” published in the latest edition ofThe
Lancet. 7.1 million less girls The 2011 Census has revealed there were about 7.1 million fewer girls
than boys aged 0-6 years, a substantial increase over 6 million fewer girls recorded in the 2001 Census
and 4.2 million fewer girls recorded in the 1991 Census. Census data analyses The decline in girl-boy
ratios is larger in better-educated and richer households than in illiterate and poorer households. It implies
that 90 per cent people in India live in States where selective abortion of girls is common. In the study, the
authors analysed Census data to determine absolute numbers of selective abortions and examined over
250,000 births from national surveys to estimate differences in the girl-boy ratio for second births in
families in which the first born child had been a girl. Annual decline of .52% The Lancetarticle is written
by Prabhat Jha, Centre for Global Health Research, Dalla Lala School of Public Health, University of
Toronto, and colleagues from India, including the former Registrar-General of India, D. Jayant K. Banthia.
The study reveals that the girl-boy ratio fell from 906 girls per 1,000 boys in 1990 to 836 in 2005: an
annual decline of 0.52 per cent. The decline was much greater in families where mothers had 10 or more
years of education than in those where mothers had no education. It was more pronounced in wealthier
households than poorer households. But, if the first child had been a boy, there was no fall in the girl-boy
ratio for the second child over the study period, strongly suggesting that families, particularly those that
are wealthier and educated, are selectively aborting girls if their firstborn child is also a girl. After adjusting
for excess mortality rates in girls, the authors have estimated that the number of selective abortion of girls
rose from 0 -2 million in the 1980s to 1.2 million - 4.1 million in the 1990s, and to 3.1million - 6 million in
the 2000s. Each one per cent decline in child sex ratio at 0-6 year age implied between 1.2 million and
3.6 million more selective abortion of girls. District-wise The authors point out that between 2001 and
2011 Censuses, more than twice the number of Indian districts showed decline in the child sex ratio
compared to districts with no change or increases. They also point out that a Pre-Conception and PreNatal Diagnostic Techniques Act in 1996 to prevent misuse of techniques for the purpose of prenatal sex
determination has been effective nationally but a reliable monitoring and reporting of sex ratios by birth
order in each district could be “a reasonable part of any effort to curb the growth of selective abortions of
girls.” (Hindu, 25/05/2011)
Four booked for demanding dowry
Following the instruction by Superintendent of Police (Rural), four persons, including two women have
been booked by Manglore Police on charges of torture and violence for dowry. According to the police, a
resident of village Mannakhedi, Parul had in her application addressed to SP (Rural) Roshan Lal Sharma,
alleged that her in-laws used to physically torture and harass her for dowry. Parul, who was married with
a resident of Rawli Mehdood in Ranipur, Nitin about six years ago, had alleged that her in-laws used to
ask her to get more dowry from her family and that she was thrown out from her in-laws house about sixmonths ago. According to case details, Parul, who had been staying in her parent's house since then,
when to her in-laws house in March this year, when her father-in-law expired. Following insistence by her
in-law's relatives, Parul decided to stay with her in-laws after this. In her complaint, Parul has alleged that
her in-laws continued to harass her for dowry even after this. The complaint further states that on April 4,
when Parul was sleeping with her two children, her husband, Nitin, mother-in-law, Sharmila, brother-inlaw, Neeraj and his wife, Shalu assaulted Parul. The quartet is also accused of dousing Parul with
kerosene with an intention to set her on fire. On hearing Parul's screams, some neighbours rushed to
help her. The next day, Parul was again thrown out of the house with a demand to get cash of Rs 1 lakh
and a motorcycle from her parents. Following this, Parul approached SP (Rural), Roshan Lal Sharma and
submitted an application against her husband and in-laws. Based on instruction given by Sharma,
Manglore police on Monday booked Nitin, Sharmila, Neeraj and Shalu on charges of torture and violence
for dowry. "Investigations into the case are on and if found guilty, the accused will be arrested," Sharma
said. (Pioneer, 25/05/2011)
Women more vulnerable to harassment for dowry
Statistics of crime against women reveal that women are more vulnerable to harassment for dowry in the
city. Out of more than 100 cases of crime against the women registered this year till April, nearly 35 cases
have been registered in related to Dowry Act, while 116 cases had been registered in last year for the
same offence. According to data provided by SSP office, Dehradun, a total of 109 cases of crime against
the women have been registered this year till April out of which 35 cases have been registered under
Indian Panel Code (IPC) Section 498A which pertains to harassment of the women for dowry followed by
abduction and eve teasing cases. As per data, 20 cases of abduction have been lodged during the same
period while 15 cases of eve teasing have been registered followed by 14 rape cases. Notably, five
women have been killed this year so far of which three were murdered for the dowry while rest two were
killed in a property dispute case. While 18 cases of murder including murder for dowry had been lodged
last year, it was 14 cases in year 2009. It is to be noted that total 361 cases related to women had been
registered in year 2010, while total 372 cases were registered in year 2009. The crime graph suggests
that women are vulnerable to crime in the city. The police are not able to curtail such type of heinous
crime as more than 30 cases of rape had been registered last year against the 25 in year 2009. However,
SSP Dehradun GS Martolia said harassment of the women for the dowry and subsequently murder is
more a kind of social evil rather than law and order problem. Simultaneously, he stressed that police is
successful in working out cases like rape, eve teasing and harassment for the dowry cent percent.
(Pioneer, 31/05/2011)
Sonia launches free delivery scheme of Health Ministry
A national initiative guaranteeing free delivery, free medicines and diet for pregnant women in
government health institutes was unveiled by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi here today. In an effort to
tackle maternal mortality, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is starting the scheme. "It is sad that
67,000 women die in childbirth every year and nine lakh children die in one month of birth. This scheme
will give right to all pregnant women to have free delivery in government health organisations," Gandhi
said launching the programme here. Gandhi said all medicines and medical tests and provision for blood
will be free of cost. She said the government will also take care of the expenses if the patient is referred to
a bigger hospital. Officials said the scheme will also include the treatment of sick newborns till 30 days
after their birth. Gandhi said social health workers ASHAs will help in implementing the scheme. "I hope
all states will implement this scheme with full responsibility," she said, adding the scheme will be under
the National Rural Health Mission which was started by UPA in 2005. The initiative aims at guaranteeing
free delivery, including caesarean operation for every pregnant woman accessing a government health
institute besides provision of free transport from home to health unit, facilities in case of referral and drop
back from health centre to home. Earlier, announcing the project during a press briefing on two years of
achievements of the ministry under him, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had said that under it
free medicines and free diet during stay in health centre will also be ensured. India has been ranked at
75th among 79 "less developed" countries, even below some of the poor African nations, in a study on
'best place to be a mother' released recently. 'The 2011 Mothers' Index' by international child rights NGO
'Save the Children' has seen India slipping two positions down from the 73rd spot in last year's study,
bringing to fore the need for focus on critical areas like maternal and child mortality, say civil society
activists. Despite progress in reducing maternal mortality and child mortality, the report says that India still
ranks as one out of 12 countries that account for two-thirds of under-five child deaths and maternal
deaths in the world. As per the survey, only 53 per cent of births in India are attended by skilled health
personnel. (IE, 01/06/2011)
Senior lawyer held for rape of client
NEW DELHI: A 62-year-old senior advocate practicing in Tis Hazari courts was arrested for raping his
client repeatedly for two years in northwest Delhi. The accused has been identified as Bhupender Singh.
He allegedly raped the 33-year-old woman as punishment for a cheque issued by her that bounced, said
cops. Singh, a resident of Rani Bagh area, was arrested after the 33-year-old victim claimed that Singh
had recently started troubling her again after she got married in January this year. The victim had
employed Singh in a dowry case she had filed against her previous husband seven years ago. Cops said
she approached them on May 10 with a complaint, stating that Singh had, apart from threatening her with
dire consequences, raped her throughout her association with him between 2004 and 2006. (TOI,
03/06/2011)
Woman refuses to accept talaq by post
AHMEDABAD: Shama Malek received a post from her husband which had 'talaq' written three times in it
and the letter had signatures of two witnesses to process the divorce. However, she refused to accept this
letter as divorce and instead approached the court demanding alimony from her husband. Shama (21)
and Sajjad Malek (26), an autorickshaw driver, got married on March 10, 2007. The couple was living in a
joint family arrangement in Danilimda till May last year, until she was driven out of the family allegedly for
not meeting a dowry demand of Rs 50,000 from her in-laws. After alleged mental and physical torture
from her inlaws, Shama went back to her parents in Juhapura locality. During her stay at her parents'
home, she continued to receive calls from her in-laws demanding dowry. A month later, she received a
post from Sajjad through registered AD, with triple talaq and signatures of two witnesses written in the
letter. Shama refused to accept talaq in this form and approached the police and lodged a criminal
complaint against her in-laws accusing them of harassment and demanding dowry. This was followed by
institution of a maintenance suit with the family court under section 125 of CrPC. Shama claimed that
Sajjad was earning nearly Rs 15,000 every month by driving an autorickshaw and dealing in automobile
business. She sought Rs 5,000 towards maintenance every month. Whether this talaq by post is valid or
not, and whether Shama is eligible for alimony, this issue is slated to be discussed in the family court of
judge A P Shah on July 15. (TOI, 06/06/2011)
Three HIV+ sisters commit suicide in Bhavnagar
BHAVNAGAR: Shunned by society because they were HIV positive, three young sisters from a village 35
km from here ended their lives by drinking pesticide on Friday night. The three Krushnaben Gohil (16),
Rekhaba Gohil (12) and Dakshaba Gohil (10); were daughters of marginal farmer Vinubha Gohil, who is
HIV positive himself. The incident occurred in the coastal village of Khadsaliya in Ghogha taluka of
Bhavnagar district. The family lives in an isolated house in a small orchard on the outskirts of the village
where they own two bighas of land. "The three sisters consumed pesticide at around 11 pm on Friday
when they were alone at home. By the time their father arrived, it was too late. He informed other family
members and an emergency ambulance was summoned but Rekhaba and Dakshaba had died and
Krushnaben died at a hospital in Bhavnagar. All the three sisters were HIV positive,'' said investigating
officer J R Zala of Vartej police station. The police say that the mother and brother of the deceased had
died of Aids four years ago. Preliminary investigation suggests that the family members were stigmatized
due to their disease. Sources said that whenever the sisters ventured out occasionally, they were treated
as 'untouchables'. "We will investigate whether stigmatization forced them to take this extreme step,'' said
Zala. (TOI, 06/06/2011)
Jharkhand woman killed, cut up, roasted, eaten by murderers
A woman, accused of practising black magic, was killed and her body cut up, roasted and eaten by her
murderers in Jharkhand's Gumla district, police said Tuesday. The woman, a widow identified as Aitwari
Devi, 45, was killed at Nawgai village of Gumla district, around 140 Km from Ranchi, early Monday, the
police said. After she was killed, her body was cut into pieces by the assailants who later made a meal of
it after roasting it. The incident came to the notice of the police Monday evening when Aitwari's son,
Avadh Nayak, 16, informed them. According to police, the woman was charged with practising black
magic by her assailants. (Deccan Herald, 07/06/2011)
Three held in Delhi for gangrape
Delhi police today arrested three men in the case of gang rape against one Radha (name changed) aged
25. On July 5, the victim who is a resident of Delhi Cantonment had gone to the nearby market. While on
her way back she was forced into a car by five men. These five men forcibly took the woman in a Santro
to the slums of Raghubir Nagar, where she was gang-raped, reports on Monday said. The victim, who
managed to escape, reached home the next day. She had registered a complaint in the Delhi
Cantonment police station. The victim had identified one of the five men as Rajkumar who lived in her
neighbourhood. Following interrogation of Rajkumar the police has been able to get through to Rakesh
Pehlwana and Rakesh who were also involved in the rape. Rakesh is also a petty criminal. The other two
men have been identified by the police but they are still at large. (Pioneer, 08/06/2011)
‘Slut Walk’ in Delhi June 25
Skimpily dressed women will take to the streets of New Delhi later this month for India’s first “Slut Walk”, a
global phenomenon to protest sexual violence. The capital is India’s most dangerous city for women
where leering and harassment are a daily menace and a woman is raped every 18 hours or molested
every 14 hours, according to the latest police figures. A government-backed UN survey last year said
about 85 per cent of Delhi’s women are perpetually scared of being sexually harassed. “The purpose of a
slut walk is to bring to the attention of society that the problem is not what we do, but what is done to us,”
Umang Sabarwal, a Delhi University student and the organiser of the June 25 protest, wrote on her
Facebook page. Slut Walk was first held in Toronto this year after a police officer caused outrage by
stating that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised” during a speech to
university students. The protest soon spread to over 60 cities where women joined in huge numbers to
challenge the mindset that victims of sexual assault should be blamed for the crime against them on the
grounds that they were “asking for it”. Mr Sabarwal said although the concept had originated in the West,
it held a lot of relevance in a city like New Delhi. “The woman is always blamed for bringing on the rape.
‘What was she doing alone at night? Why was she wearing a skirt? Why did she not have a male
companion with her? Why was she driving alone? “We cast aspersions on the character of the woman,
and her morals. It has to be her fault, doesn’t it? The men are not at fault.” The event has already
generated interest in the Indian media and on social networking websites where some have called it a
“walk for liberation” and others deriding it for being silly and provocative. Dimpy Verma, who works for in
the insurance division of a multi-national bank in the city, said she was excited about taking part in the
walk along with her mother. “I will wear the skimpiest of my skirts,” said the 27-year-old. “I want to cock a
snook at all the male chauvinists out there who think of women as sexual objects and nothing else.” (AA,
09/06/2011)
Woman forced to dip hands in boiling oil to prove innocence
RAJKOT: A woman in Surendranagar district was forced to dip her hands in boiling oil to prove that she
was not having an affair with a married man. According to investigating officer M D Waghela of
Surendranagar police station, Hetal V Panara, 24, has registered a police complaint against Julie alias
Rekha, her husband Ramesh Mohan and her father Ramesh Khoda accusing them of forcing her to dip
her hands into boiling oil. Police sources said that Hetal was admitted into a private hospital but has gone
underground after taking treatment. Julie was suspicious that Hetal and her husband Ramesh were
having an affair. On Sunday morning, she came to Hetal's place in Bharatpara street number 2, and
made allegations. She was accompanied by her husband Ramesh Mohan and her father Ramesh Khoda.
She alleged that she was forced by the trio to prove herself innocent. Ramesh Mohan, Hetal and Julie
dipped their hands into boiling oil. Ramesh and Julie also sustained severe burn injuries but they said that
they were correct so they need not to take any treatment whereas Hetal was admitted in a hospital. She
registered a police complaint on Monday afternoon. Sources at Surendranagar said that all the three
victims went underground because of the social stigma related to this issue. (TOI, 08/06/2011)
Attitude towards women has not changed in MC Shimla: Study
SHIMLA: Though women empowerment has led to a larger participation of female population in political &
administrative affairs of the state and local urban and rural governing bodies like municipal corporation
(MC) and panchayats, but women councillors in MC Shimla are still facing lot of hurdles in carrying out
functions and services in the city, highlights a study of Himachal Pradesh University, `Emerging trends in
women leadership pattern: A case study of MC Shimla.` According to research scholar Vinod Kumari,
who has conducted the study, "The councillors (both male & female) of 25 wards in MC Shimla were
interviewed to get a reflection of the leadership pattern. The study discerned that some of the male
councillors have dominance in decision making and many female councillors faced problems especially in
decision making, while they performed their duties. A majority of the female leaders interviewed have
been in office since past 4-5 years and are predominantly young or in their early thirties." Senior
researcher at institute of integrated Himalayan studies ( IIHS), Dr Sanjeev Kumar, under whose
supervision the study was conducted, said, "The study reveals that women faced problem while delivering
their duty in MC decision making. The women representative felt hurt for not having been heard or
supported, even if they presented befitting and relevant arguments." The study highlights that female
councillors even faced abusive language from the male counterparts when they placed their views for the
development purpose of the area. The problem creators, as highlighted by the study, are mostly male
members of urban society which include colleagues, superiors, subordinates, and even family members
(husband, father, brothers or relatives) and others including elite class, influential politicians and
bureaucrats. The study suggests that the attitude towards women still has not changed even in the urban
society and women still face restrictions in decision making and there is lack of training facilities for
female councillors, which would provide knowledge about effective functioning of administrative and other
functions of MC. (TOI, 09/08/2011)
Five girls lodge complaints against parents under domestic violence Act
Five girls have lodged a complaint against their parents under domestic violence act and seek protection
from district protection office for the last two months. This was disclosed by Dehradun District Protection
Officer Ramendri Mandrawal while talking to The Pioneer on Tuesday. Mandrawal said, “Though we
receive around 20 cases daily related to domestic violence Act in the department, the five girls registered
their complaints against their parents for the last two months. They were seeking protection from the
department for the last two months.” In one of the cases, two sisters (around 21 and 24 years of age) had
registered their complaints against their father under domestic violence act wherein their mother had
passed away many years back. They alleged that that they have been beaten up by their father without
any reasons. Both had demanded their share of property from their father. In another case, two sisters
had registered their complaints as they were being discriminated among siblings in the family so they
wanted get separation from their family. In addition to this, these two girls had demanded share of
property from their parents. In the third case, a girl registered a complaint as she was been tortured by
her step mother so she wanted to get separation from their family. In addition to this, around 1,000 cases
related to domestic violence act have been registered in the department for the last two years. While
talking to The Pioneer MKP (PG) College Sociology Department Head, Zainab Rehman, said that this is a
social issue and society as a whole need to come forward for the redressal of such issues. “Such cases
are increasing in the society putting a question mark on so called modern society,” she added. (Pioneer,
10/08/2011)
Another bodybag: Woman stuffed in sack, dumped near canal
NEW DELHI: The body of woman was found stuffed in a gunny bag near a canal in the Yamuna Khadar
region at Old Usmanpur on Wednesday. It was a passer-by, who informed the police. "Some passers-by
noticed a sack with a hand protruding out. The victim is between 18-22 years old and seems to hail from
the northeast. "Prima facie, it looks like a case of murder as the body bore several injury marks. It
appears the murder took place at least 48 to 72 hours ago,'' said a senior investigating officer. Sources
said the body was discovered on a lonely stretch that sees almost no footfall at night. "The body was
wrapped in a bed-sheet and tied with ropes. It is clear the victim was murdered elsewhere and her body
dumped here,'' a police officer said. The body has been kept at GTB Hospital for the next 72 hours for
identification. In what is now becoming an increasingly disturbing trend, this is the sixth incident in the city
this year where a woman's body has been found in a sack. The cops have so far identified only one
murderer, a Nigerian named Innocent, who killed a Myanmarese national in Uttam Nagar. While the crime
branch has identified Raju Gehlot as the murderer of former BPO employee Neetu Solanki, he is yet to be
caught. Three other similar murders — the girl whose body was parceled to Ajmer, another whose body
was sent by train to Etawah and the woman whose body was recovered from east Delhi in the beginning
of this year — are yet to be solved. (TOI, 10/06/2011)
UP girl death: Fresh autopsy confirms murder, rules out rape
A fresh post-mortem on a minor girl, whose body was found hanging near the Nighasan police station in
Lakhimpur-Kheri district, on Monday revealed she was murdered but ruled out rape even as the Mayawati
government ordered a CB-CID probe, removed a top police officer and suspended three doctors. “The
second post-mortem conducted by a panel of doctors from Lucknow has concluded that the girl was
strangulated but ruled out rape,” Special Director-General of Police (SDGP) Brij Lal told reporters in
Lucknow. He said Lakhimpur SP D.K. Rai has been removed and Amit Chandra, a PAC Commandant in
Lucknow, has been posted in his place. “The SP has been removed as prima facie laxity in supervision of
the investigation has been detected. As a senior officer, he should not have relied solely on the (first)
post-mortem report,” the SDGP said. He said the three doctors, who performed the autopsy earlier —
A.K. Agarwal, S.P. Singh and A.K. Sharma — have been placed under suspension. The second postmortem was performed by a panel of doctors from Lucknow after the body of the girl was exhumed from
Nighasan town in Lakhimpur. “The doctors have been suspended as they mentioned asphyxia as the
cause of death which was entirely different from the findings of the new report,” he said. Divisional
Commissioner, Lucknow, Prashant Trivedi and IGP Subesh Kumar told a press conference here that the
girl was strangulated and had not died due to asphyxia, caused by the hanging, as mentioned in the first
report. After the incident sparked an outrage, the State government rejected the earlier autopsy report
and ordered a fresh post mortem by a panel of doctors from other districts. Missing since Friday evening,
the girl's body was found hanging near the Nighasan police station in Lakhimpur-Kheri district. The
victim’s mother in her complaint had alleged that her daughter was raped and murdered. (Hindu,
14/06/2011)
Poor women most vulnerable to climate change impact
A National Convention on Climate Change and Role of Women in Governance organised here on
Tuesday deliberated on issues relating to climate change and role of women in democratic process. It
identified women from the poorer sections as the most vulnerable to impacts of climate change. The twoday convention is being organised by the Odisha Progressive Alliance which is a State-level network of
NGOs working on right based activities with the support of Western Odisha Progressive Alliance (WOPA)
and Association for Social Action (ASA). Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA) is supporting the
convention. Inaugurating the seminar, Fisheries Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi congratulated the
organisers on their efforts to bring these issues to the forefront. WOPA president Abhiram Panigrahi
presided over the meeting in the inaugural session and delivered the key note address in which he
highlighted the health and the livelihood issues of women in the backdrop of climate change. In this
programme, 250 participants from networks of NGOs, forums, activists, intellectuals, from different parts
of India have participated in this national consultation. In the context of climate change, the main
objectives of the national consultation are to improve the understanding of livelihood needs and its
linkages with climate change and to raise the capacity of member organisations in this area. It will also
assess vulnerabilities and identify interventions for mitigation and adaptation. On women's participation in
democratic process, the consultation aims to promote women's participation in the decision making
democratic process and to establish advocacy initiatives for equal participation in the three-tire Pachayati
Raj system. (Pioneer, 15/06/2011)
Exorcist, who died in UP police's custody, ate girl's kidney
An exorcist, who died in custody after being arrested for allegedly sacrificing a five-year-old girl in
Barabanki district, removed and ate one of her kidneys, police said today. "Investigation into death of
Savita, whose body was recovered from a field on June 11 in Ghungter area (of Barabanki), has revealed
that her kidney was taken out and eaten by exorcist Gaya Prasad," special director general of police Brij
Lal told reporters here. Meanwhile, four personnel, including station officer, have been suspended after
Prasad died on the way to a hospital after felling ill in police custody. Savita came to attend a marriage
function along with her family in Bhitokar on June 8 and went missing on the same night. "On June 11,
her body was recovered with multiple injury marks on face, chest and abdomen and in post mortem it was
found that one of her kidneys was missing," the official said. Anil, childless uncle of the girl, who had
taken her to the occultist was also arrested today. Lal said that the duo took Savita to a field, where they
killed her and then Prasad removed the kidney and ate it. "As it is the case of custodial death four
policemen, including station officer of Ghungter, have been suspended and a case was lodged on a
complaint of Gaya's brother Ramesh," he said. (DNA, 14/06/2011)
Woman beaten up by doctor, suffers miscarriage
NEW DELHI: A 22-year-old woman allegedly suffered a miscarriage after she was allegedly beaten up by
a doctor and her landlady along with some other people in Mandawli area in east Delhi. The incident was
reported on Monday evening when the victim, identified as Anjuman, was allegedly pushed and beaten by
a doctor - a pharmacist in the area. She was over three months pregnant and suffered a miscarriage due
to the beating, she alleged. A case of causing death of an (quick) unborn child by an act amounting to
culpable homicide and house trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint has been
registered in Mandawli police station. "We are looking into the allegations and have registered a case on
merit. We will investigate the matter from all angles," said deputy commissioner of police (east)
Prabhakar. Anjuman was rushed to Lal Bahadur Shastri hospital where she was later reported stable.
"She came into the labour room around 11pm on Monday and alleged that she had started bleeding after
being pushed by someone. We checked her vitals which were okay and on medical examination it was
found that she was 3.5 months pregnant and had partially expelled the product. The rest of the foetus was
evacuated from her uterus. There were no external injury marks and there was no requirement for blood
transfusion. When she came in it was an incomplete abortion," explained the hospital's deputy medical
superintendent, Dr Amita Saxena. The victim's family alleged that she had been alone with her sister-inlaw in their third-storey residence in Mandawli when they were attacked. "We were inside our house when
there was knocking on the door. I opened the gate and the doctor, the landlady and two other men barged
in and started dragging me by the hair and slapping me. They pushed me and the doctor kicked me on
my stomach after which I started bleeding profusely," claimed Anjuman. Meanwhile, her sister-in-law
Meena said, "On seeing them attack us violently, I rushed to the bathroom to hide. One of the men was
carrying a bottle of acid and I was scared he would throw it at me. I had a narrow escape." According to
Anjuman, an argument had taken place on Sunday when the landlady had allegedly tried to break the
stairs in front of their house. "I asked them to leave the staircase alone as it would make it impossible for
us to move up and down the house. There was an argument and they left. But not in my wildest
imagination did I think they would come back and attack in such a violent manner," she alleged. (TOI,
15/06/2011)
Dalit girl raped; minor stabbed in eyes while resisting rape
A minor Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh's Kannauj district was beaten up by two teenagers and stabbed in the
eyes when she resisted their attempt to rape her. In Basti district, another Dalit girl was allegedly raped by
a youth at gunpoint on Saturday. The Kannauj incident was reported from Bhurpurwa Mauja Dudwa
Buzurg village under the Gursahaiganj police station area and it occurred on June 14. The 14-year-old girl
had stepped out of her house around 6 a.m. when she was accosted by two village youths. When she
resisted their attempt to rape her, the girl was repeatedly stabbed in her eyes. Found lying in the field, the
victim was rushed to the district hospital and then referred to Hallet Hospital in Kanpur. Reports quoting
the doctors attending on the girl said the cornea of her left eye was completely damaged and there was
no chance of repair. An official spokesman said here on Sunday that a case was filed against the
accused. The spokesman said sub-inspector Shiv Shankar Singh and constable Fakhruddin of the
Gursahaiganj station had been suspended for failing to lodge the FIR when the incident was reported to
them on June 14. On the Basti incident, Principal Secretary, Information, Prashant Trivedi said the
alleged rape was committed by a youth, Shakti Singh, in Ranipur Bolaodi village on Saturday. (Hindu,
20/06/2011)
Muslim man challenges Domestic Violence Act
Can a Muslim woman seek maintenance under the Domestic Violence Act 2005? The Delhi High Court
has decided to hear the contentious issue after a Muslim man filed a petition challenging a lower court
order directing him to pay Rs 8,000 per month as maintenance to his wife, who, he claimed, was divorced
from him, under the Domestic Violence Act. In his petition, the man claimed that the provisions of the
Domestic Violence Act particularly Section 23 relating to maintenance cannot be invoked by
Mohammedans as similar relief had already been provided to them under Sections 3 and 4 of the Muslim
Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Act, 1986. Though the court said it seemed prima facie that
Muslim women can invoke provisions of the Domestic Violence Act, but the issue required further
examination. “Prima facie it also appears that the Muslim Women Act would not come in the way of
applicability of the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act to Mohammedans; if it were to be so held,
owing to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 also containing provisions qua maintenance, Domestic Violence
Act would not apply to Hindus also, making the same otiose. However, the said aspect also requires
further consideration,” Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, heading the Bench said. The court issued notice to the
Centre and wife of the petitioner. The man also contended since his wife was already divorced, she could
not ask for maintenance under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. This plea was,
however, was dismissed by Justice Endlaw who termed it without any merit. (Deccan Herald, 20/06/2011)
100 men ‘exploited’ minor girl
Police teams have been sent to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and various parts of Kerala to nab at least 70
persons for the alleged sexual exploitation of a 14-year-old girl in connivance with her father. The action
came after the girl told the police on how she was allegedly exploited, including by her own father. She is
now treated for venereal diseases at a government hospital here. According to the police who believe that
100-odd persons might be involved in the case, 29 had been arrested in recent days. The girl told the
police that her father, who used to do odd roles in Malayalam films, first exploited her and then let many
others in the industry and outside to do the same. Hailing from Paravoor in Ernakulam district, the girl had
revealed to a close relative about her plight following which a police complaint was filed some three
months ago. Police said 71 accused are absconding and five squads have been formed to trace them.
The victim had named some persons and a few more have to be identified, Crime Branch SP S
Surendran said. (Deccan Herald, 20/06/2011)
Indian women rise in business but not in power: Study
More Indian businesswomen are gaining managerial positions as the country's economic growth surges
ahead, yet few are able to break the glass ceiling and secure jobs with real power due to stereotypical
views of them as "fragile" and ineffective, a new study says. According to research by the Centre for
Social Research (CSR) -- a New Delhi-based gender rights think-tank -- professional women in India not
only face attitudinal challenges, but also problems within their organisations like a lack of gender policies
to accommodate the domestic pressures on them. "It can be easily judged from the findings of the study
that women's representation at the top level of management is proportionately very low compared to men.
A solid glass ceiling exists which is resisting women's movement in their ladder of career growth," said
Ranjana Kumari, CSR's director. "A major barrier for promotion of women managers comes from
insensitivity of the corporations towards women's social roles and responsibilities." The study focused on
the situation of women managers working in the health, media, hospitality and banking and finance
sectors and surveyed 240 female managers and 24 human resources managers across three cities - New
Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore. India' economic liberalisation which began in the early nineties has helped
the South Asian nation achieve near-double-digit growth over the last five years, making it the continent's
third largest economy. The rapid emergence of the corporate sector and the spread of higher education
amongst girls have meant that more women than ever are taking up professional positions in companies.
Yet, according to the research, 72% of the companies surveyed did not have specific gender policies to
help promote women to leadership positions. Special benefits for women such as flexible working hours,
transport, compensatory leave, and medical benefits are not available to most respondents, said the
report, despite laws which dictate this. The majority of young married women managers polled said they
wanted their companies to have a more sensitive approach to females, such as offering maternity benefits
for those in entry and mid-level positions and providing creches so that they could maintain a work-life
balance. Others said participating in training and networking opportunities -- important facets for
companies and employees to grow -- were a challenge due to family obligations and there largely were no
mechanisms in place in their organisations to take account of pressures on them at home. In many Indian
households, married professional women often live together with their in-laws and are expected to look
after the home and their children as well manage the cooking and cleaning. Their families, as a result,
often view their professional jobs as a means of income, rather than a career. As a result of such
pressure, there is a prevailing mindset that women are less committed to work and end up compromising
their work for their home life. "This suggests that there needs to be systemic changes if companies are
serious about bringing in greater diversity in their management and encouraging competent women to
overcome the hurdles that society places in their career path," said Kumari. (DNA, 19/06/2011)
Woman gang raped and burnt alive in Uttar Pradesh
A 35-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped and later set afire by three youths in Nidhauli area of
Etah district, the third case of rape in Uttar Pradesh in the last two days. The woman, a widow, was
allegedly raped and set on fire by three youths belonging to an influential family in Sabhapur village when
she was alone in her house along with her two minor children, police said. Though no FIR had been
lodged yet, senior superintendent of Police Laxmi Narain said that a written complaint has been lodged by
the victim's brother-in-law Anil in this connection. However, station house officer of Nidhauli Narendra Pal
Singh ruled out rape and murder and said the woman had committed suicide. The victim's brother Virseh
said, "Five persons first tried to strangulate my sister and then raped her. Since my sister recognised
them, they doused her with kerosene and set her ablaze. When she was nearly dead, they left the spot."
This is the third rape case reported in the state in the last two days. A dalit girl was stabbed in the eyes
allegedly by two youths when she resisted a rape attempt in Kannauj on Saturday. In another incident, an
18-year-old dalit girl was allegedly raped by a youth in Ranipur Beladi village in Basti. Satti Singh
allegedly raped the girl at gun point on Saturday night. The rising number of rape cases have triggered
protests by opposition parties in the state. The Congress has slammed the Mayawati government over
the law and order situation in the state saying it had lost its moral right to continue after such incidents.
"Mayawati should be ashamed. People expected more from a woman chief minister but she doesn't have
a word of sympathy," state Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi had said. But an unfazed Mayawati
government said there is no breakdown of law and order in the state and stern and prompt action was
being taken against the culprits. (HT, 20/06/2011)
Woman abducted, raped; four held
A 23-year-old woman was abducted and raped by two men in a moving vehicle in Najafgarh in the early
hours of Monday. The police have arrested four persons for their alleged involvement. The incident took
place around 2 a.m. when the four men, who were in two vehicles, offered the woman a lift home and
then on getting an opportunity forced themselves on her. “While one of the vehicles was on the move, two
of the accused raped her and then the third was trying to assault her when the area Station House
Officer, who was on night patrol duty, heard her screams,” said a police officer. The police team
intercepted the vehicle and rescued the victim from the clutches of the rapists. The four accused were
subsequently arrested and the woman sent to hospital for medical examination and treatment. The
victim's husband is lodged in Tihar Jail in a murder case. They have a five-year-old child. “We have
recorded her statement and registered a case,” said the officer. During interrogation, the accused
disclosed that they worked as taxi drivers. While two of the accused are from Haryana, one is from
Najafgarh and the fourth is from Dhansa. (Hindu, 21/06/2011)
Court orders follow-up probe in sex abuse case
A court in Kochi on Monday ordered follow-up probe by the CBI into the suicide of teenage girl Anagha
(15), her parents, brother and sister at Kaviyoor in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district in 2004. The case had
become sensational due to the allegations that Anagha had been sexually abused by a former CPI(M)
minister, sons of two former ministers and a police official. Considering a petition filed by TP
Nandakumar, editor of ‘Crime’ magazine, seeking follow-up probe into the incident, the Special CBI Court
in Kochi asked the agency to probe all aspects related with the suicide of all the members of the Brahmin
family. Nandakumar had alleged that the probe had been sabotaged by the interference of powerful
political and police personalities. The most important among the aspects of the suicide that the CBI would
have to examine now is whether Anagha had been subjected to sexual exploitation. The autopsy and
forensic examination had found traces of semen in the body of Anagha but the probe agency had failed to
look into this matter. The court had reprimanded the CBI for this lapse when it took up the petition on
June 13. Also, the CBI had not taken seriously a letter written earlier by Anagha’s friend Sreekumari to
Justice R Basanth of the Kerala High Court saying that Anagha had informed her of repeated sexual
abuse by a “VIP”, sons of former ministers and a police official. Justice Basanth had handed this letter
over to IDP R Sreelekha with the instruction to probe the case in its light. Opposition leader VS
Achuthanandan had earlier spoken of a “VIP” involvement in the matter but he later withdrew the
statement. On Monday, he welcomed the court order. The CBI had failed to give plausible explanations to
the court’s queries. The agency, which had listed Lata Nair – who had been involved in the sensational
Kiliroor sex scandal – as accused, had taken a position that there was no need of a follow-up probe. The
Kaviyoor case, like the Kiliroor scandal, had generated political tremors in Kerala due to the alleged ‘VIP’
involvement. The petitioner said that Lata Nair had presented Anagha and Sari S Nair (15), the victim of
the Kiliroor sex scandal who died after giving birth to a child, to several men promising to cast them in
films and television serials. The court gave three months time to the CBI to complete the follow-up probe.
It would take up the case again in October. (Pioneer, 21/06/2011)
Mayawati calls for more stringent punishment to rape accused
Pushed on the back foot by the spate of rape incidents and concerned at an alarming increase in crimes
against women, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has proposed amendments to the Criminal
Procedure Code (Cr.PC) and Indian Penal Code (IPC), calling for more stringent punishment for the rape
accused and making the offence non-bailable. “The ordinances pertaining to amendments in the relevant
sections of Cr.PC and IPC have been sent to Governor B.L. Joshi for his approval,” Ms. Mayawati said.
She conceded that some of the incidents were on account of the lapses on the part of the police and the
administrative officials in the districts. To tighten the screws on the State officials and making them more
sensitive towards rape cases and atrocities on women, Ms. Mayawati has called a meeting of senior
administrative and police officials, Commissioners, Inspectors-General, DIGs, District Magistrates and
SPs in Lucknow on June 27. The amendments proposed in Cr.PC are related to Sections 437 and 439 of
the code. While the rape accused are generally granted bail, as per the amendment, bail will not be
granted to the accused till the case is disposed of. Amendment in the IPC has been proposed in Section
354 (outraging the modesty of women) for making rape a non-bailable offence in Uttar Pradesh. “These
changes in law will act as a deterrent and help reduce crime against women,” Ms. Mayawati told
journalists here on Tuesday. Ms. Mayawati said directives had been issued to the station house officers of
all police station areas to launch a month-long campaign for preparing a dossier of persons with doubtful
character. The SHOs have been asked to first try to reform such characters and, if they don't change,
take strict action against them. Unruly elements would not be spared, she said. Asking the media,
particularly the TV channels, to exercise retrain in such cases till it gets the “ official version,” Ms.
Mayawati said by jumping the gun not only wrong news was being disseminated but also a law and order
problem was being created. Ms. Mayawati slammed the Opposition parties, especially the Samajwadi
Party, for launching a vicious propaganda against the government. Dubbed as a political conspiracy to
defame her party and government, the Chief Minister cautioned the opposition parties not to politicise
serious issues, but create “social awareness.” (Hindu, 22/06/2011)
Girl gang-raped at Maharashtra railway station
A 17-year-old girl was raped by three men early Tuesday at Kalyan Railway station of Thane district in
Maharashtra after she got off a train from Pune, police said. "The victim is a resident of Dombivali
township of Thane district and was returning from Pune," an official from Kalyan’s Mahatma Phule Police
Station told IANS. “She reached Kalyan at around 2.30 a.m. today (Tuesday). She called two of her male
friends to accompany her at the station as she could not find a train home at that hour,” he added. One of
the victim’s friend told police that three goons beat up her friends and carried the girl to the end of a
platform and raped her. “The victim’s friends reported the incident to the railway police only by afternoon
following which a case was registered late in the evening,” the official said. Kalyan city is around 55 km
northeast of Mumbai. (Deccan Herald, 22/06/2011)
Only one public toilet for 1.4 lakh women in Haryana
ROHTAK: Gender inequality is a stark reality in Haryana. While the social attitude towards girl child
leading to the skewed sex ratio is well known, lack of women-specific basic amenities clearly indicates
official apathy towards their needs. Having a women population of over one crore, there are only 80 public
toilets for women available in Haryana, which depicts a shameful picture of neglect of women's needs,
sources said. While the government claimed to have focused on total sanitation programmes with a target
to build toilets in every house, unavailability of public toilets across Haryana, especially in towns, has
exposed the government's seriousness on the issue. Replying to an RTI query by Haryana Soochna
Adhikar manch, different local bodies in Haryana have disclosed that there are only 80 public toilets for
women in various towns of Haryana. Most of these toilets are old and constructed 6-8 years back. State
convener of the manch, Subhash, said that most towns -- including Rohtak, Jhajjar, Mahendergarh,
Sonipat and Jind -- have no records about public toilets for women. The sub-divisional towns of Meham,
Sampla and Kalanaur have denied existence of any public toilet in these towns. There are many towns
which have just one or two such toilets. For example, in Gohana, two toilets were constructed in 2003 of
which one is non-functional. The industrial towns of Hisar and Panipat, which have a large number of
women workers employed in industrial areas, have four toilets for women each, which were nearly six
years old. Jhajjar town has no toilets while there are three toilets for women in Bahadurgarh. Narnaul
town has one toilet while Kaithal has six. The twin townships of Yamunanagar-Jagadhri have 11 toilets of
which six were constructed by an NGO, Sulabh International, while maximum number of 12 toilets are in
Gurgaon. "It was shocking that on an average, just one toilet is available to nearly 1.4 lakh women in
Haryana. Lack of basic facilities for women at public places betrays the insensitivity of government
towards their needs and health issues," Subhash said. (TOI, 22/06/2011)
Moral policing: Woman IT official attacked in Kochi
KOCHI: A 31-year-old woman working at the IT park in Kochi was attacked by 'moral police' when she
was travelling with her male friend to the office at 10 pm on Sunday. The woman has been hospitalised.
Tasni Banu and her friend had stopped at a roadside tea shop near the IT park when a group of about 10
people started making lewd comments on them. The group warned them that "Kochi was not Bangalore"
and that they should not be seen in public places at night. "They wanted to know where we came from
and what we do" said Tasni. "My friend gave all his details, but I declined and instead questioned him as
to why I should tell such details to a stranger," said Tasni. The two were about to leave on their bike as
they realised that some of the group members were drunk. Suddenly, one of them started abusing them.
She got down from the bike and questioned the man. He slapped her repeatedly. "I almost fainted," said
Tasni. The police arrived after her friends called up the emergency number. But by then the attacker had
vanished. She was taken to the police station. A badly bruised Tasni told cops that she would be able to
give her statement the next day. However, her condition worsened and she had to be hospitalised. Chief
Minister Oomen Chandy on Tuesday called for a report on the incident following complaints that police
acted late. The police team then visited her at the hospital and took her statement. "Kerala has seen a
dangerous rise in the number of rowdy elements. I was confronted by at least 10 men. I ask myself should
women get the approval of local 'moral police' before going out with their friends at night?" Tasni said.
(TOI, 22/06/2011)
Speaker's bid fails to break logjam over Women's Bill
A meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar here on Wednesday failed to break the
deadlock over the Women's Reservation Bill. The Bill to set aside 33 per cent of the seats in Parliament
and State legislatures for women was passed by the Rajya Sabha in March last year, but has been held
up in the Lok Sabha amid stiff opposition from a few parties which are against its passage in the present
form. Ms. Kumar told journalists after the meeting that she would make yet another attempt at evolving
consensus before the monsoon session of Parliament begins on August 1. This is the first such initiative
made by the Speaker. “Mrs. Kumar had convened the meeting more in her capacity as a woman
parliamentarian than as Lok Sabha Speaker. She wanted to hear the views of the representatives of all
parties in the Lower House in a bid to break the logjam,” said an official in the Speaker's office. That no
major headway could be expected was evident when the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party,
vociferous opponents of the Bill, chose to stay away from the meeting. Representatives of the BJP, the
Left parties, the AIADMK, the DMK, the Siromani Akali Dal and the Trinamool Congress took part in the
deliberations. While all the parties favoured passage of the Bill, they had serious differences over how
reservation for women in elected bodies could be ensured. The Shiv Sena wants to make it mandatory for
the political parties to give a certain per cent of ticket to women to contest elections, rather than bringing
about a constitutional provision for quota. The Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal has no issue with
reservation for women as such, but wants a quota within the quota for the Other Backward Classes. It is
advocating an OBC quota of 27 per cent, which has come into force after the Mandal Commission report
was implemented. The BJP, which voted for the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, does not want a repeat of what
happened in the House. Marshals had to be summoned to evict members of the parties opposed to the
Bill. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj asked the Speaker to evolve consensus
before the Bill was tabled in the House to prevent the acrimonious scenes witnessed in the Rajya Sabha.
“Members who disagree should be given a chance to put their views across and allowed to press for
amendments and even walk out,” she said. (Hindu, 23/06/2011)
Maid gangraped by NGO owners, 1 held
NEW DELHI: The city reaffirmed its tag of being the crime capital after a young girl from Jharkhand was
gangraped by an NGO owner and his two friends in northwest Delhi. The girl, who had come to the city
looking for a job, was allegedly drugged and raped by the trio. The incident came to light on June 20 after
the victim lodged a complaint with the police. One of the rapists, Shiv Ram, 40, has been arrested. But
the main accused, Baldev and Bamdev, are still on the run, said deputy commissioner of police
(northwest) Meenu Choudhary. What is shocking is all three accused are part of NGOs that claim to fight
against exploitation of the downtrodden, particularly migrants from Jharkhand. Bamdev runs an
organization, Jharkhand Nyay Manch, while Shivram runs an NGO, Seva Bharti, in Punjabi Bagh. Baldev
is employed here. This NGO too claims to take up the cause of the poor, particularly exploitation of maids
from Jharkhand by placement agencies. The police said, the victim claimed she came to Delhi looking for
a job. "The girl said she has been working as a part-time maid in the city since December last year," a
police officer said. On June 2, the three men called her to Bamdev's residence under the pretext of some
work. All three were drunk at that time. Late in the night, they offered her soft drinks laced with sedatives
and she lost consciousness. When she woke up next morning, she had been sexually assaulted. The trio
also threatened her with dire consequences if she complained to the police, a police officer said. The girl
went to church on Monday where she met a relative and confided in her. "Then she gathered the courage
to go to the Rani Bagh police station and lodge a complaint. A medical examination confirmed rape. We
have arrested Shiv Ram. The other two are absconding. A case of rape and criminal intimidation has
been lodged," said a senior police officer. (TOI, 23/06/2011)
UP Police decides to put rape cases under `Special Report' category
To keep a close tab on the investigations into rape cases in the state, the UP Police brass has decided to
put it under the category of `Special Report', (SR) cases. Steps are also afoot to send a proposal to the
Governor for making necessary changes in the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and Indian Penal Code
(IPC) to make molestation (Section 356 of IPC) a Non-Bailable offence and for the completion of trial of
rape cases within six months. A Bill in this regard is likely to be tabled in the Assembly in the coming
Monsoon session for approval. Special DG (Crime, law & order), Brij Lal said that to ensure speedy probe
and ensure justice to the victims, rape has been put in the category of Special Report (SR) cases. He said
that akin to murder, dacoity, loots, kidnapping for extortion which are braceketed as `SR' cases and
maintained in separate filed in each police station, rape cases too will be treated with utmost seriousness.
Putting rape in the category was imnperative as these SR cases are regularly monitored by gazetted rank
officers from Deputy SPs to the rank of IGs. The officer said that now officers have been told to review all
files related to rape cases and prepare a list of the offenders who were still at large so that they could be
arrested soon. Besides the local police has been asked to identify and prepare a list of anti-socials who
frequently indulge in eve-teasing or sexual assaults. The police have been asked to take the help of
eminent persons of the locality and senior citizens. He said that stern action will also be initiated against
habitual sexual offenders. (Pioneer, 23/06/2011)
Two Uttar Pradesh cops booked for gang-rape
Two policemen and two others were booked for gang-raping a married woman in Uttar Pradesh's Mau
district, taking the number of fresh rape cases reported Wednesday in the state to three. Mau
Superintendent of Police Onkar Singh told IANS over telephone: "We have registered a case of rape
against the cops as well as a hotel owner and a bus conductor." He identified the bus conductor as Shiv
Kumar but refused to disclose the names of the hotel owner or the two policemen involved in Monday's
incident. According to the first information report (FIR) lodged Wednesday, the 38-year old victim was
having dinner with two relatives at Maurya hotel in Ghosi town, about 400 km from here, June 20 when
they had some altercation with the hotel owner, who called in the police. The hotel owner together with
the two policemen dragged the woman into a hotel room and gang-raped her. The policemen later took
the woman to the house of bus conductor Shiv Kumar where she was gang-raped again. The victim was
dumped on a road June 21 in Kopaganj town, about 8 km from Mau. The two other rapes reported earlier
in the day included one in Naubatpur village in Unnao district, 50 km from here, in which a 16-year-old girl
was raped by a neighbour Wednesday. The other incident was a 20-year-old woman's rape-cum-murder
by three men Tuesday night in Kanch village in Bulandshahr district, about 400 km from here. With the
fresh cases, 12 rapes have been reported in the state over the past 72 hours. (Deccan Herald,
23/06/2011)
Groom's family demands Rs 1 lakh, girl opts out
HISAR: Valor was again displayed by a girl and her family when they turned down a sudden demand of
dowry made the groom's family. The baratis returned without the bride and the girl was later wed to the
brother of her elder sister`s husband.When barat Jamalpur village reached Hisar, the groom`s family
demanded of Rs 1 lakh and a motorcycle, said sources. This in turn enraged the bride`s kin that led to a
clash between the families. Not only were the groom`s family members made to flee, they had to pay all
expenses made by the girl`s family to welcome them. This decision was made by the elders. As per
information, Sangeeta`s uncle Rohtash Singh had made the arrangements for the wedding ceremony.
Sangeeta was to be married to an Armyman. "The colorful barat reached my house. Everything was going
on well. But a sudden demand of dowry faded away all joys. I rejected their greed and my mother too
stood firm in my decision," said Sangeeta Rani. SHO city Rakesh Kumar said, "No written complaint was
made by both parties." (TOI, (23/06/2011)
NCPCR seeks report on genitoplasty in Indore
Taking cognisance of a newspaper report about several hospitals and clinics in Indore performing
surgeries on baby girls to change their sex, the NCPCR has asked the Madhya Pradesh Govt to
undertake an investigation with a team of doctors, known for high professional competence and ethical
standards. File Photo The Hindu Taking cognisance of a newspaper report about several hospitals and
clinics in Indore performing surgeries on baby girls to change their sex, the NCPCR has asked the
Madhya Pradesh Govt to undertake an investigation with a team of doctors, known for high professional
competence and ethical standards. File Photo Takes cognisance of a newspaper report that hundreds of
such operations are performed every year Taking cognisance of a newspaper report about several
hospitals and clinics in Indore performing surgeries on baby girls to change their sex, the National
Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked the State government to undertake an
investigation with a team of doctors, known for high professional competence and ethical standards. The
Commission has sought a detailed report within 15 days, giving facts, figures and circumstances of the
cases, list of doctors/hospitals practising genitoplasty and action taken or contemplated against them. It
also wants to know the measures taken by the Madhya Pradesh government at the State/district and local
level in terms of publicity/awareness campaign against the adverse effects of sex change operations as
well as female foeticide and infanticide. It has asked the government why measures to create awareness
against preference for a male child have been ineffective. ‘Curb unethical practice’ The State
government has also been asked to take all necessary action to combat the unethical practice, including
cancellation of the licence and registration of doctors and hospitals involved and initiating penal action
against them under IPC and other applicable laws/guidelines. According to the newspaper report, every
year hospitals in Indore perform hundreds of such operations on baby girls. Genitoplasty is performed on
children who are just 5 years old. The procedure costs about Rs. 1.5 lakh. (Hindu, 27/06/2011)
Women to be inducted as officers in border forces
In yet another first for women, the government has now approved recruitment of female officers in border
forces deployed along the country's eastern frontiers. Till now, central paramilitary forces guarding Indian
frontiers had only women combatants in the ranks of constables. The new rules notified by the
government now have created avenues for women to be recruited as Assistant Commandants (ACs) in
the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which guards India's borders with Nepal and Bhutan. "This is like the
proverbial breaking of the glass ceiling when it comes to women donning khaki for combat roles. Women
officers in border guarding forces will not only command female units but male units too and this will be
historic," a senior woman IPS officer, who has served in a paramilitary force, said. The AC rank is the
entry-level for officers in central paramilitary forces like CRPF, CISF, ITBP, BSF and SSB and they are
recruited through an all-India written examination and interview conducted by the UPSC. The two other
border guarding forces -- ITBP and BSF -- securing Indian frontiers with China and Pakistan respectively,
however, have not decided as yet on recruiting women officers even though they have inducted a large
number of women constables. "The new rules decided by the government in consultation with the Home
Ministry only specify women officers for SSB as of now. Capacity building for ITBP and BSF, which guard
crucial borders, includes women being inducted as officers," a senior officer involved in the process said.
The women officers will subsequently command the all-woman contingents or battalions after they are
trained and commissioned, the officer said. Currently, the exclusive women contingents of SSB, ITBP and
BSF are headed by male officers and there is a growing demand for getting women officers to head these
units. All the three border forces have deployed their women personnel for frisking and patrolling duties at
their respective borders after they were first inducted in 2009. "These women, in the ranks of constables,
are trained in weapon firing, unarmed combat and commando roles and the new officers will also be
trained similarly along with their male colleagues," the officer said. The SSB guards the 699-km long IndoBhutan border and the 1,751-km long Indo-Nepal border. (Deccan Herald, 27/06/2011)
Women still face disparity in wages, says survey
Indian women workers continue to suffer from high degree of disparity in wage earnings, says a report
released by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO). This inequality is not limited to the rural areas as
urban employers also pay less wages to women than to their male counterparts. The disparity also
extends to government-sponsored employment. The quinquennial survey conducted by the NSSO during
2009-10, which has been released this week, reveals that in villages, average wage or salary earnings
per day received by male regular wage or salaried employees is Rs 249 and for female, it is Rs 156,
indicating the female-male wage ratio as 0.63. Though disparity does exist in the urban areas, the
situation is slightly better than the villages. In urban areas, male wage rate was found to be Rs 377
against the female wage rate of Rs 309, indicating a female-male wage ratio of 0.82. When it comes to
wages, casual workers of both sexes get worse of it. In addition to difference in wages due to rural-urban
divide, there exists gender discrimination in ascertaining these wages. NSSO data shows that daily wage
rates for casual labour in works other than public works in rural areas is Rs 93 and in urban areas, it is Rs
122. In rural areas, average wage or salary earnings per day received by male casual labours engaged in
works other than public works is Rs 102 and for females, it is only Rs 69. In the urban areas, the wage
rates for casual labours in work other than public works is Rs 132 for males and Rs 77 for females.
Though in a limited manner, there is gender discrimination in government-sponsored employment,
including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act (MGNREG) projects. In rural
areas, per day wage rates for casual labour in public work other than MGNREG public schemes has been
found to be Rs 98 for males and Rs 86 for females. For casual labour in MGNREG public work, wage rate
in rural areas is Rs 91 for males and Rs 87 for females. (Deccan Herald, 27/06/2011)
Three fresh cases of rape in UP
A 10-year-old dalit girl was gangraped and burnt alive while another minor from the community and a
mentally challenged teenager were sexually assaulted in fresh rape cases in UP ahead of the planned
launch of a campaign by Mayawati Government to tackle crime. In Ghaziabad, a 10-year-old dalit girl was
gang-raped and burnt alive in Anwarpur village, police said. The incident came a week after a 35-year-old
woman was allegedly gang-raped and burnt alive by three persons in Etah. The minor girl, whose parents
had gone out for work, was overpowered by some men who entered her house last evening, they said,
adding that they raped her and set her afire when she called out for help. The victim was rushed to a local
hospital. She was later referred to GTB Hospital in Delhi where she succumbed to injuries. Senior police
officials reached the village, falling under Pilakhuwa police station area. One person was arrested last
night in connection with the case and the girl's body was sent for post-mortem, police said. While security
in the village has been tightened, SDM Hapur Pushpa Devrar has started a probe into the incident on the
directions of District Magistrate Hredesh Kumar. In Barabanki, a 11-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly raped
by a youth in Dewa area, police said today. The victim was dragged by a youth to a secluded place and
raped while she was returning home in Ibrahimpur Khurd village last night, they said. The accused Shiv
Kumar has been arrested, police said. In Hathras, parents of a teenager lodged a complaint with police
that the girl was raped by her uncle Kishori on June 24. The police have arrested the accused. The rape
incidents came as Chief Minister Mayawati prepared to chair a high-level meeting of officials tomorrow to
chalk out strategy to deal with crime after a spate of rape and murder incidents this month prompted the
Centre to seek a report from Uttar Pradesh Government on the prevailing law and order situation in the
state. Pilloried by Opposition which has been demanding dismissal of her government, Mayawati had
announced that the CrPC will be amended to complete trials in six months in rape cases, make the
offences non-bailable and provide stringent punishment to the guilty. Mayawati had called a high-level
meet of state officials on June 27. "I myself will chair the meeting... directives will be issued to launch a
month-long campaign at all police stations," she had said. The Chief Minister today alleged a conspiracy
by the opposition parties to defame the government. "By giving political colour to even the smallest of the
matters, the opposition is attempting to destabilise my government," Mayawati said at a rally in Mumbai
suburban Goregaon. "Even some of the people in the media, with a casteist mentality, were publishing a
distorted picture," she alleged. "But let me make it clear, that I am not going to get cowed down by such
things. "This is because, unlike leaders of other parties, I have not come into politics through a legacy but
through working in party and working at village level," she said. "At no cost will I kneel down before the
opposition," Mayawati said. Taking suo motu cognisance of "alarming" rise in rape cases in Uttar
Pradesh, the State Human Rights Commission had issued notices to the government and police asking
them to submit a detailed report about the incidents and steps taken to curb rampant rise of the "beastly
offence". (Deccan Herald, 27/06/2011)
Another minor raped
With the CB CID team yet to nab the policemen involved in rape attempt and murder of a minor girl inside
Nighasan police station in Lakhimpur Kheri, yet another 15-year-old girl was kidnapped and raped in the
same locality over a fortnight back. However, the cops tried to hush up the matter but after local residents
staged a protest, they registered a case on Monday. Efforts were now on to nab the accused. Surprisingly
even when the victim was a minor, the cops not registered a rape case and claimed that if the medical
examination would confirm it only than they will take cognisance. Reports said that Nandini, a native of
Shivlalpurwa hamlet of Nighasan disappeared under mysterious circumstances after she left the house on
June 4 last. Her father Maiku Pal went to report the matter in the local police but the cops asked him to
search the victim on their own. Three days after the incident, the girl reached back home. Disclosing the
traumatic experience before her parents, she claimed that one Manoj Pandit, a resident of same locality
had kidnapped her on the fateful day. She was held captive in an unknown room where she was also
sexually assaulted. Nandini revealed that she somehow slipped from custody of the accused and reached
back home. Reports further said that Maiku Pal went to report the above matter but once again he was
shown the door. He later kept knocking doors of senior officers but no one took cognisance. Finally on
Monday when the local residents staged a protest, Nighasan police registered a case under 363/366 IPC
for alluring and kidnapping a minor but they not included charges of sexual abuse. Interestingly, the cops
even then sent the victim for medical examination and not recorded her statement before a magistrate.
(Hindu, 28/06/2011)
UP has lowest rape rate among all states: NCRB
NEW DELHI: The noise being generated about recent incidents of rape in Uttar Pradesh might make it
seem like the state is particularly bad when it comes to this most heinous of crimes against women, but
official data suggests quite the contrary. In fact, UP has among the lowest rates of rape among all major
states in India. The National Crime Records Bureau's publication Crime in India 2009 — the latest edition
of that annual report — shows that with 1,759 rape victims in 2009, UP had 0.9 rape victims per lakh
population. Compare that with the 1,631 victims in a much smaller state like Assam, which means a rate
of 5.3 rape victims per lakh population, almost six times the rate in UP. The five best states or UTs in
2009, among those with a population of 100 lakh or more, were Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, UP and
Bihar in that order, all of them having less than one rape victim per lakh population. At the other end of
the scale, the five worst were Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi and West Bengal, in
descending order of the rate. Even the best among this lot, West Bengal had a rate of 2.6 rape victims
per lakh population, that is about thrice as bad as in UP. The Congress raising the issue of lawlessness in
UP in this context seems particularly ironic given the fact that not one of the five best states or UTs had a
Congress government in 2009, although Tamil Nadu had one run by an ally. he truth is that the political
colour of the government has little co-relation with rape statistics. It is likely that social factors lead to
greater under-reporting of crimes against women in a state like UP or Bihar than in, say, Delhi. However,
that still does not explain why MP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan (2.3 victims per lakh population) or Haryana
(2.5 per lakh) do not have lower figures than UP or Bihar. After all, there is no reason to believe that there
is any less of a stigma attached to rape victims in these states than in UP or Bihar. Even a single case of
a woman getting raped anywhere is one rape too many and deserves to be condemned. However, when
crimes like these are sought to be used for political ends, those raising the bogey also deserve
condemnation. If those protesting against the recent rapes in UP are seriously concerned about crimes
against women in India, they would be better advised to spend their time and energy on figuring out how
rapes and other such crimes can be minimised if not eliminated. That would involve, among other things,
changing the gender profile of the police force as well as sensitising male policemen to the heinousness
of the crime and the trauma of the victims. It is a harder job than agitating with a political motive, but a job
that needs to be done. (TOI, 28/06/2011)
Minor gangraped by two students in Panchkula
In a sensational case, the local police arrested two youth for allegedly kidnapping and gangraping a minor
girl on Sunday evening. The police said that the victim is student of Class X and one of the accused is her
brother’s friend. The accused were identified as Sahil (22) of Sector 2, Panchkula who is an engineering
student at Chitkara College and Marshal (21) of Manimajra who is a BA student at Khalsa College of
Sector 26 in Chandigarh. The police lodged a complaint in Police Station of Sector 5 on Monday evening
when parents of the 15-year-old girl, residents of Sector 6, approached the police. A Panchkula Court on
Tuesday ordered two-day police custody of the arrested duo. Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime)
Ram Chander Rathi said, “We got the medical examination of the victim done from the hospital which has
confirmed rape. The samples of accused and the victim have been sent to Central Forensic Sciences
Laboratory.” “The minor girl, was lured by these two for a drive with them on Sunday evening. The girl told
us that she was taken in a car by them and was offered an intoxicated drink later due to which she fell
unconscious and stated to be unaware of what happened to her later on,” added DSP Rathi. Sector 5
Police Station SHO Inspector Om Prakash said, “The two accused youth and the victim, all are children of
well-off families and both were known to the victim’s brother. The girl’s family approached us on Monday
evening to lodge a complaint and we arrested the accused from Panchkula on Tuesday and took them on
two-day custody.” (Pioneer, 29/06/2011)
Man tries to sell daughters to 'buy' second wife
In a shocking incident, a father of five children put his two minor daughters on ''sale'' to arrange money for
''buying'' a second wife in Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district, about 125 km from here. It was sheer luck that
the villagers came to know about the “deal” and saved the two girls in the nick of time. Nanhen Ram, a
resident of Ramapur Raholia village in the district, whose wife had died a couple of years ago, was
looking for a second wife. Although friends and relatives tried to dissuade him from marrying again, he
remained adamant. Nanhen came across someone just like him, who had also put his daughter on sale.
Nanhen had found his prospective second wife but needed Rs 25,000 to “buy” her from her parents,
according to reports. Nanhen (45), who had five children, earned barely enough to sustain his family and
did not have the money to fulfill his desire. He then decided to do something no father would do—sell his
two minor daughters, 10-year-old Malti and eight-year-old Ramkanti, to arrange the money for buying a
second wife. According to reports, one Rajkumar of the same district agreed to buy the two minor girls for
Rs 15,000. He reached Nanhen’s village along with some of his friends on Monday to pay the money and
“take the delivery.” Fortunately, the villagers somehow came to know about the deal struck by Nanhen.
They surrounded Nanhen's house and caught hold of the “buyers,” who were thrashed before being
handed over to the police. The main culprit, Nanhen, however, escaped and a hunt has been launched to
nab him, police sources said. The police were also looking for the father of Nanhen’s prospective second
wife. (Deccan Herald, 29/06/2011)
Indian women world's most stressed: Survey
Women around the world feel stressed and pressed for time, but women in emerging markets are more
stressed than their sisters in developed nations - and Indian women say they are the most stressed of all,
according to a survey published on Tuesday. But while women in emerging markets may be under more
pressure, they are also far more hopeful, with most seeing more financial stability and better chances for
education for their daughters, according to the survey of 21 developed and emerging nations by global
information and analytics firm Nielsen. An overwhelming 87 percent of Indian women said they felt
stressed most of the time, and 82 percent had no time to relax. Despite being stressed, though, Indian
women were also the most likely to spend any extra cash they might happen to have on themselves over
the next five years. Nearly all, 96 percent, anticpated buying clothes, while 77 percent said they would
splash out on health and beauty products and 44 percent on home electronics. "Women across the globe
are achieving higher levels of education, joining the workforce in greater numbers and contributing more
to the household income," said Susan Whiting, vice chair at Nielsen, in a statement. "Women tell Nielsen
they feel empowered to reach their goals and get what they want, but at the same time, this level of
empowerment results in added stress." Mexican women came in second in terms of stress and lack of
time, with 74 percent, followed by Russia with 69 percent, which the survey blamed partly on the intense
pace of social change, with what took half a century to evolve in developed countries compressed into
five for their emerging cousins. The highest stress levels in developed countries were Spain with 66
percent and France with 65 percent. Some 53 percent of U.S. women said they were stressed. Women in
general felt they had more opportunities than their mothers no matter where they were living. But women
in emerging markets believed their daughters will have more chances than they did, while those in
developed nations said their girls will only have the same opportunites, not more. In emerging markets, 80
percent of women surveyed believe their daughters will have greater financial stability and 83 percent
believe they will have more educational opportunity. Only 40 percent of women in developed nations saw
their daughters having more financial stability, and only 54 percent forecast more educational chances.
"The difference in perceptions is ... reflective of the belief that women in developed countries have
achieved a certain level of attainment and success," said Whiting. "While women in emerging markets
see tremendous growth in the opportunities for their daughters, a plateau of hope is evident in developed
countries." The most optimistic women were in Turkey, an overwhelming 92 percent of whom thought
their daughters would have more opportunities than they did, followed by 89 percent of Nigerians and
Malaysians. Only half of U.S. women thought the same. No matter where they were, though, women were
more keyed into social networking than men, talking 28 percent more and texting 14 percent more every
month. They also visited more Internet community sites. More than half of women in both developed and
emerging nations said that computers, mobile phones and smart phones had changed their lives for the
better. "To connect with women, strategies should be social and relevant," said Whiting, noting that social
networking meant women followed brands more than men. "Women are much more likely to engage with
media that seamlessly integrates into and improves their day-to-day lives." The survey was conducted
from February to April and covered nearly 6,500 women in Turkey, Russia, South Africa, Nigeria, China,
Thailand, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Brazil, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, France,
Germany, Spain, Sweden, Japan, Australia and South Korea (AA, 28/06/2011)
Suspicious villagers beat woman to death
In a gruesome incident, the villagers of Pakal in Kodakandla mandal had beaten a woman to death
accusing her of practising witchcraft. Relatives and other villagers in Pakal raided the house of
Devaraboina Anjamma (40) and beat her severely holding her responsible for death of a person named
Sammaiah. They doused kerosene on her and tried to set her ablaze when she fell unconscious of
thrashing. Two policemen who were there tried to prevail upon the villagers but in vain. Additional forces
were rushed to the spot and they could shift her to the MGM Hospital at district headquarters. But, she
succumbed to her injuries later in the day. According to the police, Sammaiah fell seriously ill after a
snake bite on June 14. He was admitted to hospital but died on June 19. On Monday, his relatives
organised a function in which Anjamma and her family members did not attend. Mr. Sammaiah belonged
to Ajamma's community. Her relatives grew suspicious and alleged that she was practising witchcraft and
was responsible for the death of Sammaiah. On Tuesday night, a group of villagers along with her
relatives raided the house of Anjamma and questioned her. Fearing threat to her life, she complained to
the police at mandal headquarters. The police officials sent two constables to the village in the wee hours
of Wednesday. Seeing the policemen posted at her house, the villagers grew more suspicious and
furious. They went in large numbers and raided her house again. They dragged her out and beat her up
grievously. The two constables were not allowed to come near when they tried to protect her. She
sustained thirty per cent injuries by the time additional forces reached the villages. The police took into
custody around 30 members of the village. (Hindu, 30/06/2011)
Punam Dilawari becomes first woman SHO
For the first time in the history of Chandigarh Police, a woman inspector has been given the charge as
station house officer of a police station. Inspector Punam Dilawari on Thursday was posted as SHO of
Sector 3 police station. Punam Dilawari was handed over with the charge after earlier SHO Inspector
Mahabir Singh retired in Thursday. Punam was amazed to know the news as she got the surprise in the
evening. She was working at the post Public Relations Officer with the city police form the last few
months. Elated Inspector Punam said, “I am surprised and also happy after taking over as SHO. This has
happened for the first time that a woman inspector is posted as SHO of a police station and I am glad that
I got this distinction”. Talking to The Pioneer, UT SSP Naunihal Singh said: “We are proud to put
Inspector Punam as SHO of Sector 3 Police Station as she has the caliber to justify the position.
Witnessing the caliber of other women cops, we will also be putting other women inspectors as SHOs in
other police stations.” Despite having 12 lady inspectors, not a single one was earlier posted as SHO in
any of the 11 police stations across the city. Technical and Monitoring Cell in-charge Inspector Harjit Kaur
said: “This is a very positive step taken by the police department. This will boost up the morale of all the
women cops in the city and will persuade them to work more hard. Till now, only few lady police
personnel were deployed at few police stations as assistants to SHOs but had never been deployed as
in-charges.” (Pioneer, 01/07/2011)
Maya not cooperating: NCW chief
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has accused the Mayawati government of non-cooperation
on the issue of rising crime against women. Ms Yasmin Abrar, acting chief of the NCW, told reporters in
Lucknow on Thursday that the UP government has refused to cooperate and has not agreed to a
meeting. “The reason for my being in Lucknow today is that the NCW is here to get an action taken report
from the state government on various atrocities that have been taking place here, and we were to hold a
meeting with the government but that has not materialised,” she said, adding that atrocities against
women in this state have been increasing. “This is not something that the NCW is saying — it is there for
everyone to see and understand,” she said when told that Ms Mayawati had accused the NCW of being a
frontal organisation of the Congress. Ms Abrar said that the CM, in fact, should question the state
Women’s Commission and ask them if they have done anything to ease the situation. Referring to the rise
in crime against women in the state, Ms Abrar said that the only reason that all these atrocities are taking
place is that the police department and administration are lax in their approach on the matter. (AA,
01/07/2011)
‘Dowry harassment' drives woman to suicide
Driven to despair by alleged dowry harassment by her husband, a woman hanged herself to death at her
house in Kempe Gowda Layout here in the early hours of Monday. The Rajagopalanagar police arrested
the woman's husband on the charge of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide. R. Chaitra Reddy
(23) married Umesh Panduranga Reddy (28), a financier, who also runs a real estate firm at Manjunatha
Nagar here, four years ago. Her parents, Ramachandra Reddy and Vijayalakshmi, said their son-in-law
had been harassing their daughter for more dowry, even after being given several lakhs of rupees and
jewellery. “He got several lakhs from his father-in-law to construct a house. When he demanded more,
they sold a piece of land to oblige him,” Chaitra's uncle Prabhakar Reddy toldThe Hindu. “Umesh had
been torturing my sister,” Chaitra's brother Krishna Reddy said. Her sister, Malathi, sought action against
Umesh. Umesh was sleeping in another room when Chaitra ended her life, the police said. When he
realised what had happened, he called her parents and fled the house. Later, the police arrested him.
(Hindu, 05/07/2011)
Girl abducted, raped in Maruti van
A 16-year-girl was abducted and raped in a moving Maruti Omni van allegedly by three youths who also
filmed the attack in North Delhi's Subzi Mandi area. The incident took place on June 27 when the victim, a
class X student in a Government School was returning home from a coaching institute. According to
police, the victim in her complaint has alleged that she was brunt with cigarette by the accused when she
protested their sexual assault. The victim lives with her family in Katra Nanak Chand locality in Subzi
Mandi area. Her father is a washer man. On the basis of her complaint lodged at Subzi Mandi Police
Station on Sunday, police registered a case under section 363 (kidnapping) and 376 (rape) against the
three youths. The medical examination of the victim has confirmed the sexual assault. Police have
arrested one of the three accused, identified as Nitin who is said to be the brother of the victim's friend.
According to a senior police official, they have not been able to establish the victim's claim regarding
video of the assault. Joint Commissioner of Police (Northern range) Sudhir Yadav said that the matter
came to their notice when the victim along with her parents approached Subzi Mandi police. "The victim in
her complaint told us that on June 27 at around 5 pm she was headed towards her home after attending
private tuition at a coaching institute. On the way three persons forcibly dragged her inside a white colour
Maruti Omni van. She has claimed that two of them raped her in the moving vehicle while the third filmed
the attack," said the Joint CP adding they have arrested one of the accused, identified as Nitin. According
to a police official, Nitin is known to the victim, as he is the brother of one of her school friends. On that
evening, the official said quoting the complaint, Nitin had offered her a lift in the van he was travelling.
"The victim agreed since she knew Nitin personally. Inside the car she found two other men whom Nitin
introduced as his friends. They parked their vehicle at an isolated place and took turn to rape her. One of
them filed the act in his mobile phone. Later at around 11 they dropped her in Peeragarhi area and gave
her money to hire an auto rickshaw and return home," said the police official adding after returning home
the victim did not tell anyone in her family about the incident. On Sunday morning the victim narrated the
entire story to her sister who in turn told her parents about the matter. According to official, Nitin has
refuted victim's allegation that he had shot MMS of the sexual assault. "We did not find anything in his
mobile phone. Efforts are being made to apprehend the absconding accused. Their interrogation might
help us establish this allegation," the official added. (Pioneer, 05/07/2011)
Another sex scam involving minor girl rocks Kerala
Close on the heels of a minor girl being allegedly raped by 100-odd persons, another sex scam involving
a 14-year old girl has surfaced in Kerala in which four persons, including her father, have been arrested.
The girl has told police that besides her father, many others had sexually abused her for over a year in
different places, police said. A medical examination conducted on her revealed that she was pregnant,
they said. A classmate of the girl, hailing from Kothamangalam in Ernakulam District, was also alleged to
have raped her and was taken into custody. He was produced before the Juvenile Justice Board which
sent him home along with his parents, police said, adding the Board members had collected evidence
from the girl. Najeeb (35), a driver of one of the three persons arrested in the last two days, was taken
into custody today, they said. Cases have been registered against the accused under the Juvenile Justice
Act and various sections of IPC. The incident has come to light weeks after the Paravoor sex scam in
which a minor girl was allegedly raped by 100-odd persons, including her father. At least 50 persons have
so far been arrested in this case with police on the lookout for an NRI doctor in London. (Heccan Herald,
05/07/2011)
Father, uncle arrested for killing 17-year-old girl
In yet another incident of honour killing in Haryana, the police on Tuesday arrested Naresh, a resident of
Kaithal, along with his brother Inder Singh, on charges of allegedly strangulating his 17-year-old daughter
Mukesh to death on Sunday. Naresh reportedly killed his daughter because she refused to live with her
50-year-old husband Jayveer. Apparently, the marriage was forced upon Mukesh last month. She refused
to go with Jayveer, citing his age, after which a Panchayat was held on July 2 to persuade her. However,
Mukesh refused to go to her husband’s house. (IE, 06/07/2011)
Man arrested for raping mentally challenged daughter
A 45-year-old man, who had allegedly raped his mentally challenged daughter several times, was
arrested after DNA tests revealed that he had fathered his daughter’s baby. Police said the man’s 21year-old daughter became pregnant and gave birth to a boy seven months ago. The accused used to
allegedly rape her when his wife and another mentally challenged daughter were away from their home at
Vadama in Mala in Thrissur district. The girl’s mother filed a complaint last year after nuns of an institution
she was going informed her that she seemed to be pregnant. On medical examination, it was found that
she was five months pregnant. A probe once again began in the case after a new police officer, circle
inspector K A Francis-- took charge. The accused, Anto, was questioned by police several times and was
directed to undergo DNA tests, following which he confessed to the crime, police said. The tests also
revealed that he had fathered his grandson, police said. At least 13 persons underwent DNA tests during
the investigation. Anto was produced before a Judicial First Class Magistrate Court which remanded him
to 14 days judicial custody. (IE, 06/07/2011)
Capital shame: 5 rapes in 48 hours
Even as Delhi Police chief BK Gupta was pointing to the falling incidence of rape in the Capital in his halfyearly review on Saturday, July 2, Delhi’s predators were having a free run, ruining that very record. In a
period of about 48 hours, from the evening to July 1 to the morning of July 3, five rapes and an attempted
molestation were reported from the city. These included the case of an eight-year-old girl who was
allegedly sodomised by her 25-year-old tutor in outer Delhi’s Vijay Vihar area. Ironically, at the time the
victim was recording her statement at the police station, the police chief was making his presentation to
the media. On July 1, a 10-year-old girl was alleged sexually assaulted by her juvenile cousin at a
construction site in northwest Delhi’s Maurya Enclave area. The same day, a 21-year-old married woman
filed a complaint that she had been regularly raped for a full month by her 23-year-old ‘friend’ in outer
Delhi’s Shahbad Dairy. On July 3, a 16-year-old girl was abducted, raped and filmed by three boys in a
moving Maruti van in north Delhi’s Subzi Mandi. Another 16-year-old girl was abducted by a neighbour
from her home in west Delhi’s Tilak Nagar, taken to Panipat and allegedly raped. The police, in their
defence, said most of these crimes were committed by people known to the victims. “They fall in the nonpreventable category and took place either at, or near, the victims’ homes,” said additional DCP Rajan
Bhagat. The police have arrested all those involved in these crimes. Gupta had said rape cases had seen
a decline of 11% in the first six months of the year. In 2010, 289 cases were reported till June 30, while
this year 258 cases were reported in the same period. This year, the police have solved 94% of rape
cases. (HT, 06/07/2011)
U.N.: implement women's legal entitlements
A report by a new UN agency on gender equality has called on member-states to make more efforts to
ensure that women's legal entitlements are not on paper only, but get translated into equality and justice.
In its first report titled ‘Progress of the world's women: In pursuit of justice', the UN Women says the past
century has seen a transformation in women's legal rights, with countries in every region expanding their
scope for legal entitlements, but for most of the world's women, it adds, the “laws that exist on paper, do
not translate into equality and justice.” Its recommendations include extending support to women's legal
organisations, implementing the gender-sensitive law reform, putting women on the frontline of law
enforcement, and increasing their access to courts and truth commissions during and after conflict. The
report mentions examples of countries making “immense strides” in promoting gender equality, but states
that women are “often denied control over their bodies, denied a voice in decision-making and denied
protection from violence.” Despite major progress on legal frameworks, millions of women report
experiencing violence in their lifetimes, usually at the hands of an intimate partner, the report points out,
adding that in 1911, only two countries in the world allowed women to vote, but a century later, that right
is virtually universal and women are exercising greater influence in decision-making than ever before.
Alongside women's greater political influence, there has been a growing recognition of their rights, not
only political and civil, but also economic, social and cultural. In countries where their representation in
Parliament has increased substantially, new laws that advance their rights have often followed. Where
quotas have been used to boost the number of women legislators, progressive laws on land rights,
violence against women, health care and employment have been passed. Where women have organised,
sometimes across party lines to ensure representation, change has followed. Systematic targeting of
women for brutal sexual violence is a hallmark of modern conflicts, the report says. Balanced, wellinformed and unbiased judicial decision-making is an essential part of ensuring that women who go to
court will get justice. However, even where laws are in place to guarantee rights, they are not always
properly or fairly applied by judges, the report says. Quoting the Bhanwari Devi rape case of India that led
to the formulation of Vishakha guidelines on prevention of sexual harassment at workplace, the report
says a gender-sensitive judicial decision-making had an important role. “The Vishakha decision has
inspired a similar case in Bangladesh and law reforms in Pakistan resulting in almost 500 million women
working in these countries having legal protection against sexual harassment and abuse.” In many
contexts, the report states, the infrastructure of justice — the police, the courts and the judiciary — is
failing women, which manifests itself in poor services and hostile attitudes from the very people whose
duty it is to protect their rights. (Hindu, 07/07/2011)
‘I don't want AIDS, but I can't quit sex work'
Consistent efforts by voluntary organisations to create public awareness and promote intervention
programmes to prevent HIV/AIDS have been quite successful as was revealed during a UNAIDS (Joint
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS)-organised visit to SOSVA (Society for Services to Voluntary
Agencies), an NGO engaged in the fight against AIDS, in the Capital's Pandav Nagar area on
Wednesday. “Everywhere I go, I always feel disheartened seeing young girls and boys below the age of
15 with HIV/AIDS. What is being done to prevent such evil?” asked UNAIDS Executive Director Michel
Sidibe, who has visited centres like the SOSVA across the globe. The centre runs a clinic and operates
through its volunteers who are mostly sex workers in the neighbourhood. The volunteers have a tough
time convincing other sex workers to come for regular check-ups. Counselling sessions, awareness
camps and demonstrations to promote safe sex measures are undertaken by the volunteers. “I wouldn't
entertain a customer who refuses to wear a condom,” said Kamla(name changed), a young sex worker.
“Sometimes when a customer becomes too unruly we ask him to leave,” she added. “Earlier I didn't know
the danger I was putting my family in….I knew nothing about AIDS or other STDs,” said Mala, a 28-yearold sex worker who took to the trade to feed her children. According to SOSVA project manager Nazish
Mustafa, efforts are made to intervene and rehabilitate sex workers but they are not very successful with
older women who have been in the trade for 15 to 20 years. Therefore the focus is on trying to prevent
prostitution among teenagers. “Our livelihoods are at stake here. It is too late for us to turn back but we try
and prevent our young neighbours from making the same mistake” said Reshma, relating how it took one
year for them to convince a young girl to leave prostitution. “I don't want to get AIDS, but that doesn't
mean I will quit my work” added Kamla, when counselled about leaving prostitution. “What will you do
when you reach the age of 45? Have you thought about that?” asked Mr. Sidibe, who extended his visit to
a local brothel. “It is so sad when young people can be taught the evils of AIDS but cannot be made to
quit the sex work.” (Hindu, 07/07/2011)
Provide aid to rape victims, orders Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered the implementation of a scheme to provide monetary
benefit to rape victims, providing a glimmer of hope for such victims. Under the scheme, victims will
receive interim financial assistance of Rs 20,000 and restorative support services of upto Rs 50,000. The
final assistance can be upto a maximum of Rs 1.30 lakh. The relief amount can be availed by a victim, a
minor girl or their legal heirs and the aid can be as high as Rs 3 lakh in case of special circumstances.
The scheme entails creation of a corpus of Rs 150 crore. A Division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra
and Justice Sanjiv Khanna directed the city Government to implement the scheme within six weeks after
the Delhi Government’s Standing Counsel (criminal) Pawan Sharma submitted that the Centre has
finalised the scheme and the city Government is considering implementing it. Earlier, the bench had
slammed both the governments for the delay in putting in place a concrete scheme for providing
compensation to rape victims. “The matter has to be taken up in all seriousness as a case of this nature
requires attention for the purpose of enabling the rape victims to be rehabilitated both socially as well as
mentally because the anguish, agony and trauma suffered by a rape victim is absolutely immeasurable,”
the bench had said. The scheme mooted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development has been
cleared by the expenditure-finance committee and awaits a nod by the Finance Ministry. The court order
followed a petition filed by the Delhi Commission for Women seeking direction to the Government for
formulation of a scheme to rehabilitate rape victims. (Pioneer, 07/07/2011)
Flood of sex abuse cases, most beginning at home
In March, a teenager from Paravur near Kochi complained to police that she had been sexually exploited
by her father, and then several others, with the promise of a career in cinema. Over a year and a half, she
had been sent to businessmen, film executives, tourists, government officials and politicians across South
India. Police have arrested 45, including two CPM leaders, and say they will try and take the list of
accused beyond 100. It was only one case among several in a state that has been seeing sexual
exploitation of one girl after another, many of them minors. Among the earlier instances was the
Suryanelli sex scandal of 1996, when a minor was abused by 40 persons in a month. Since then, many
exploitation cases have involved members of the girl’s family, too, either as assaulter or as agent (see
box). In the Paravur case, the girl’s father, 39, was a “supplier” of junior artistes for films and TV serials.
Police say he ended up delivering his daughter to friends and later to agents of the organised flesh trade.
Her mother was allegedly aware of it. Since her escape, the girl has been in a government rescue home.
In another case involving a father, in 2008, a man abused his daughter for many years in Mattannur,
Kannur, before pushing her into the flesh trade, from where she was rescued. Two of the accused in that
case are named in the Paravur scandal, too. “Kerala has lost its family-based value system,” says
Women’s Commission chairperson Justice D Sreedevi. A market of “aphrodisiacs and rejuvenating oils”,
obscene literature and sleazy movies has turned men into sex-starved animals, she said. She feels
publications on sex education, too, are too provocative. Activists also connect drinking to cases of such
abuse. The commission gets several complaints from women forced into sexual perversions by husbands
who want to replicate movie scenes. When the wives resist such attempts, the men often target minor
girls within the house or elsewhere. Activist K Ajitha, who has fought for victims of exploitation, blames
the legal system, saying only one of 40 accused in the Suryanell scandal was jailed. She says the growth
of tourism, too, has led to cases of abuse, pointing out that many foreign tourists have been involved.
CASE FILES
• Poovarani, Kottayam, 2008: Police find that relatives would pick up a girl during weekends and
force her into prostitution. She later contracted HIV and died.
• Alapuzha, 2011: 37-year-old mother hands her 11-year-old daughter to her lover, for a payment.
• Kochi, 2011: 17-year-old raped by her father, then a relative and three of her father’s friends.
• Muvattupuzha, 2011: 36-year-old youth confesses he had been abusing his 12-year-old daughter
for four years. On weekends, he would bring her home from the school hostel for sex, he
confesses.
• Kaduthuruthi, Kottayam: Drunken son takes a friend home and lets him rape his 60-year-old
mother.
• Kothamangalam, Ernakulam, last week: Class X student complains that her father and many
others abused her for three months. She is now pregnant.
• Kasargode, this week: Woman tells court that her husband would bring a youth home and get
drunk; the youth raped her several times. (IE, 07/07/2011)
39 pc Indians think it’s ok to beat wives
The latest findings of United Nations on the progress of women worldwide reveal that a large percentage
of population in India does not have any reservation about wife-beating. A UN report based on prevalence
surveys in some countries of Asian region says, “Thirty-nine per cent of men and women in the country
think it is sometimes or always justifiable for a man to beat his wife.” The report also informs that the
number of victims of physical violence by their intimate partners is also as high as 35 per cent in India.
The report, Progress of the World’s Women in Pursuit of Justice (2011-2012) was released on Thursday
by the UN’s wing for gender equality. However, in neighbouring Bangladesh 49 per cent of the
respondents were found to be victims of physical violence, and 18 per cent complained of sexual
harassment. These surveys have also exposed the inefficacy of high pitched campaigns for changing
social attitude and democratisation of the decision making process within the family. “Close to 63 per cent
of women in India, between the ages of 15-49,lack autonomy which is defined as having no say in any of
the vital every day decisions: own health care, large household purchases for daily needs and visits to
family or relatives,” says the UN report. Long road ahead While commending the government initiatives
of strengthening laws against gender violence, the report has pointed out lack of implementation of these
laws. The report says the legal literacy is very low and “70 percent women in the country are not aware of
their rights”. “India significantly lags behind the rest of the world, with women making up just three per
cent of judges. “Women judges are under-represented in most of the courts in the country,” says the
report. UN Women Deputy Executive Director Laxmi Puri pointed out the lack of proper representation in
the police force and failure in establishing all-women police stations. (Deccan Herald, 08/07/2011)
Half of murder convicts in Tihar are women
Women can kill not only with their looks but literally too as convicts belonging to the fair gender outdo
their male counterparts when it comes to murders. According to an annual survey report of 2011, of the
2,751 convicts lodged inside the Tihar jail last year for various crimes, 46.15 per cent of female inmates
have been convicted for murder charges alone as against the male count of 33.47 per cent. Along with
this, 6.73 per cent of women have been convicted in attempt to commit murder cases as against 5.93 per
cent of their male counterparts. Female inmates also top the chart in kidnapping and abduction cases,
dowry death cases and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances cases. Surprisingly, the review also
showed that 7.69 per cent of females were convicted in rape cases too. "The ratio of convict population
rose from 20 per cent in the year 2009 to 25 per cent in the year 2010 because of better disposal of
criminal cases and this has brought down the percentage of undertrial population from 80 per cent of the
previous year to 75 per cent," DG, Tihar Prisons, Neeraj Kumar said. One central jail (Jail No 6) is
dedicated to women prisoners. This jail has 401 undertrials and 104 convicts which also includes
foreigners. "After our annual analysis of convicts lodged with us, we found that female convicts have
topped the chart in murder cases, kidnapping and abduction cases, NDPS cases, and dowry cases in
comparison to their male counterparts for the year 2010 and 2009," Tihar jail spokesperson Sunil Gupta
said. While 10.58 per cent of female convicts are lodged inside Tihar Prisons for kidnapping and
abduction cases, only 3.66 per cent of male inmates are convicted for the same. In dowry death cases,
the percentage of female convicts is 8.66 as against the male count of 2.64 per cent. The female convict
population convicted under Local and Special Act cases for NDPS cases constituted 13.46 per cent as
against male convicts (6.99 per cent) convicted for the same. "Majority of the female convicts (57.69
percentage) belong to to the age category of 30 to 50 years. In the year 2009, there were 779 convicts,"
Gupta said. (Deccan Herald, 11/07/2011)
Doubting wife’s character is cruelty: Delhi high court
Next time you pass remarks on the character of your wife, be careful as she can drag you to court for your
words and demand divorce. The Delhi high court has ruled that this is a form of cruelty. Justice Kailash
Gambhir, while giving relief to Meghna (name changed) and allowing her divorce from her husband of
over 30 years, said, “Cruelty is the very antithesis of love and affection and what may be a cruelty in one
case may not be treated as an act of cruelty in another case. However, irrespective of the social,
educational, and economic background of the parties, no one will tolerate an attack on their chastity or
moral character, which is the worst form of cruelty.” Meghna had challenged the trial court order of 1998
that had dismissed her plea of divorce, saying that these grounds are not enough to pass a decree.
Setting aside the trial court order, Justice Gambhir said the court failed to comprehend as to how such a
view could be taken by the trial court following the husband’s malicious allegations that his wife was
having a relationship with a sadhu and was staying out of the house at nights. “Casting such aspersions
on the character of the other spouse can cause a deleterious effect on the mind of such spouse and the
same is a worse form of cruelty,” he said. In the present case, Meghna married Shantanu (name
changed) in 1980 and after two years, they had a child, whom they named Neha (name changed).
According to Meghna, soon after Neha’s birth, Shantanu used to beat her and blamed her for not giving
birth to a male child. “Shantanu used to pull me by my hair and throw me out on the streets in the
presence of our neighbours and turned me out along with my daughter and forced us to spend nights
outside the house,” Meghna had alleged. “Married life should be assessed as a whole and a few isolated
instances over a certain period will not amount to cruelty. Ill-conduct must be precedent for a fairly lengthy
period where the relationship has deteriorated to the extent that because of the acts and behaviour of a
spouse, one party finds it extremely difficult to live with the other party may amount to mental cruelty,”
Justice Gambhir said. (DNA, 10/07/2011)
Teenage girl gang-raped by dance instructor, others
NEW DELHI: A 16-year-old teenager was gang-raped by her dance instructor and his three friends - two
of them juveniles - at a dance school in west Delhi, police said ON Saturday. All four have been caught.
"Gulshan allegedly gang-raped his student along with his three friends in a dance school in Vikaspuri area
July 5," said a police officer. The incident came to light on July 7, when the missing girl was rescued from
Gulshan's house by police after her family members lodged a complaint. After a medical examination
confirmed rape, police were on the track of Gulshan and the other rapists. "Gulshan, his friend Ram were
arrested and the two juveniles detained and sent to a observation home Friday," said the officer.
According to police, the girl was taking 15-day training at DKS dance school in Vikaspuri. She went to her
class July 5 but did not return home. Her family members searched for her but could not locate her.
Finally, they lodged a missing complaint with Vikaspuri police station. Police found the girl was last seen
with Gulshan and raided his house in Dabri area. During interrogation, Gulshan told police that he and the
girl had become friends during the classes. "On July 5, after the classes got over, Gulshan took the girl to
a nearby park and asked her to stay back for a special class. When everyone went out from the school,
Gulshan called his friend Ram, a resident of Uttam Nagar, and the two juveniles and they gang-raped
her," said the officer. She was kept in the school premises that night and the next morning Gulshan
forcibly took her away to his home, the officer added. (TOI, 09/07/2011)
Four rapes in five days in U.P.
Four minor girls, including a Dalit girl, were allegedly raped in various districts of the State in the past few
days, the police said here on Tuesday. A Dalit minor girl was allegedly raped in Kumhara village of
Gonda, after which she got pregnant, the police said. A first information report was on Monday registered
against the 26-year-old accused at the Coloneganj police station. The victim's father stated in the
complaint said that he came to know about the rape when he went for his daughter's medical check-up
and the doctors confirmed the pregnancy. A 13-year-old was raped in Nagla Khandra village in Sirsaganj
area of Firozabad on Monday. The accused allegedly raped the girl in his house when she went there for
some work. He caught by the villagers and handed over to the police. In Mau, a teenage girl in
Haldharpur area lodged an FIR against her lover, accusing him of rape and assault, the police said. The
accused was arrested by the police. In another incident in the same district, a minor girl was allegedly
raped by a man in Bhatauliud Matiya village, the police said. The incident took place on Thursday. The
eight-year-old girl feel unconscious after being raped, the police said. The victim, whose father worked in
Maharashtra and mother had expired earlier, was rushed to the hospital in a serious condition. After she
gained consciousness on Saturday, she narrated the incident to her grandmother. An FIR has been
registered against the accused, who is at large, the police said. — PTI (Hindu, 13/08/2011)
Divorce pending, man can’t drive estranged wife out of home: HC
MUMBAI: A pending divorce case would not absolve a man of his duty to provide a residence to his wife
who had complained of domestic violence, the Bombay high court has ruled. Hearing an application filed
by a 27-year-old Nagpur resident, Sheela Pawar, who was allegedly locked out of her matrimonial house,
Justice A P Bhangale dismissed her husband's plea that he had a tenant staying in one of his rooms. The
high court has directed 30-year-old Nilesh Pawar to allow his estranged wife and their son to stay on the
second floor of their two-storey home. "We assume, for the sake of argument, that the alleged tenant
occupies the second floor premises following an unregistered agreement; prima facie, it itself would not
form any legal basis to claim the right as a tenant," said Justice Bhangale. "Merely because the divorce
proceedings are pending, the wife, who was allegedly subjected to domestic violence, cannot be deprived
of claiming residence in the shared household." The court pointed out that the objective of the Domestic
Violence Act, 2005 was "to provide more effective protection to helpless and shelterless victims and to
ensure the rights of women guaranteed under the Constitution". The judge said when a victim of domestic
violence files a complaint, the magistrate has to pass an order expeditiously. Sheela married Nilesh in
2008 and they have a son. Sheela said while she stayed with her husband, she was subjected to
harassment with him making constant demands for money to buy a four-wheeler. On April 5, 2010, the
husband's family locked her out of their house; Sheela lodged a complaint under the DV Act against her
husband and mother-in-law and urged the court to pass an interim order to allow her and her son to
return to her matrimonial house. The magistrate ordered Nilesh to provide her accommodation on the
second floor of their building. Challenging the order in a sessions court, Nilesh furnished an affidavit filed
by a man claiming to be a tenant on the second floor of the Pawar home. The additional sessions judge
quashed the magistrate's order; Sheela moved the HC. The high court held that the sessions court had
errored by relying on an unregistered tenancy agreement. The court added that a magistrate's interim
order in a DV case should be interfered with only if such an order was "arbitrary, capricious, perverse or
contrary to the settled principles of law". The HC struck down the order and restored possession of the
second-floor residence to Sheela . (TOI, 13/07/2011)
Female foeticide: Notices to Haryana, Punjab, UT (8)
CHANDIGARH: Acting on a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to take appropriate steps to
stop female foeticide, including registration of ultrasound machines meant for veterinary purposes in
Punjab, Haryana and UT, Chandigarh, the Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday issued notices to
both the states and the Chandigarh administration asking them to respond to the issues raised in the
petition. The notices were issued by a division bench headed by acting Chief Justice A K Goel while
hearing the PIL filed by Girish Memorial Charitable Trust, through its general secretary Munish Nayyer.
The petitioner also sought directions to the governments concerned and the UT administration for strict
maintenance of records of ultrasound machines, conducting inspections every three months as per rules
and taking regular and consistent action against violators as per law considering the seriousness of the
issue in view of the provisional census of 2011 indicating further decline in child sex ratio which has
already reached an alarmingly low figure in many villages, towns and cities of the region. (Times of India
13/7/11)
Evidence are destroyed in UP: NCW (8)
New Delhi, Jul 14 : Referring to recent spate of 'atrocities' on women in Uttar Pradesh, the National
Commission for Women (NCW) today said evidence are destroyed in the state. "The State Commission
for Women is not working in UP. Had that been working, we needed not interfere," NCW acting
chairperson Yasmeen Abrar, who demits office today, said at a press conference here. An NCW team,
including Ms Abrar, had visited Bhatta-Parsaul villages in Greater Noida where molestation charges were
levelled on the police during farmer's protest against land acquisition. "Unfortunately, evidence are
destroyed in Uttar Pradesh," she said, coming on the conclusion after her recent visit to the state for
various cases. She said report on Bhatta-Parsaul is still not finalised and the Commission will submit its
findings, once the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is done with their report. Speaking about
the reasons for growing incidences of crime against women in the national capital, Ms Abrar said, "There
is a lack of efficiency on part of the Delhi Police. Besides, there is also a need to sensitise the civil
society." "I met the Police Commissioner B K Gupta yesterday and gave him necessary directions for
raising the security level," she told reporters. (New Kerala 15/7/11)
Eight booked in five dowry cases in one day (8)
CHANDIGARH: UT police registered five cases of dowry harassment and booked eight persons, including
husbands and in-laws of complainant women on Thursday. The cases were registered following inquiries
by crime against women (CAW) cell of UT police. Monika of Sector 41 lodged a complaint against her
husband Jitender Chauhan and mother-in-law Sunita Chauhan of Jalandhar district for harassing her to
bring dowry. The case was registered at Sector-39 police station. Bharti Kasyal of Sector 44 lodged a
complaint against her husband Arun Kumar and in-laws Parkash Chander and Anita Sharma. The case
was registered at Sector-34 police station. Accused are residents of Sector 19. Manpreet Kaur of Dhanas
lodged a complaint against her husband Sukhwinder Singh of Rohtak and the case was registered at
Sector-11 police station. Rishi Bala of Sector 27 complained against her husband Yogesh and in-laws
Subnehari Lal and Manju Devi, who live in Rajasthan. The case was registered at Sector-26 police
station. Police also booked a resident of Bilaspur district in Himachal Pradesh, Jagar Nath, for harassing
his wife Poonam of Sector 52. The case was registered under sections 406 and 498A of Indian Penal
Code at Sector-36 police station. (Times of India 15/7/11)
4.68L female foeticide cases in 10 yrs, fears health dept (8)
PUNE: Maharashtra since 2001 is believed to be more than four lakh. The state health department
calculated the absolute total of girls not born by using the ideal child sex ratio at birth of 952 per 1,000
boys, and compared it to the number of girls actually enumerated in the census. The state's child sex
ratio, which was 913 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001, has fallen to 883 girls in 2011, according to provisional
census figures. The enumeration of girls in the zero to six age group in Census 2011 showed a shortfall
of 4,68,680 girls, with Pune accounting for 45,000 cases. The health department's apprehensions over
the large number of cases of female foeticide have been expressed in a recent report, 'An abridged
review on PCPNDT Act 1994 and Amendment 2003', that was handed out at a state-level meeting held in
Beed recently. "The report is to make the authorities take serious note of the falling child sex ratio. There
may be slight variations, but the report is important to gauge where we stand. The state government must
take a slew of measures to improve the situation," said Jayanth Kumar Banthia, additional chief secretary
(health and family welfare). (Times of India 15/7/11)
Supriya Sule to launch statewide campaign against female foeticide (8)
Pune | Agency: DNA: Lok Sabha MP from Baramati constituency, Supriya Sule, on Saturday said that she
would launch a five-year statewide campaign against female foeticide from next month. She was
speaking after inaugurating a Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) school building in Warje area. Mayor
Mohansingh Rajpal, leader of house in PMC, Subhash Jagtap; local corporator and former deputy mayor,
Dililp Barate; spokesman of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Ankush Kakde and city president of NCP
Vandana Chavan were present on the occasion. Sule said that female foeticide is a serious issue. She
will launch an awareness campaign against female foeticide under the aegis of Yashwantrao Chavan
Pratishthan. Sule said that the campaign will be inaugurated at Naigaon, the birthplace of Savitribai Phule
on August 22 in presence of state home minister, RR Patil and state public works department minister,
Chhagan Bhujbal. On that day, about 500 young girls from different parts of the state will start a march
from Naigaon. She will walk with the troupe. Patil will also walk for a few kilometres along with his two
daughters. According to Sule, the state-level conclave would be organised in Pune for three days. About
3,000 young girls will participate in the conclave and will take oath that they would not allow sex
determination tests. Sule said that she had talked to all important leaders in the state government about
the problem. The state government would organise various competitions for students in 2,000 colleges.
According to Sule, there is a need for social change to prevent female foeticide. She would be launching
the campaign with great expectation. “All of us should demonstrate to the country that Maharashtra is a
progressive state. Hence, everybody should join the campaign,” Sule said. Sule said that men too will be
involved in the campaign. An effort will be made to involve doctors to stop female foeticide. Former
deputy mayor, Dililp Barate, welcomed the gathering. Barate said that the development plan of 23 merged
villages in PMC should be approved at the earliest. (DNA 17/7/11)
Trafficking: Cops rapped for slack probe (8)
NEW DELHI: Lackadaisical attitude of Delhi Police in probing a case of immoral trafficking of a minor has
irked a trial court. It has asked the Delhi Police commissioner to take "necessary action" against the cops
for the "lapses in investigation". The court was forced to acquit two accused in the case of immoral
trafficking, wrongful confinement and sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl who was forced into prostitution
following the failure of the police to produce her to depose against the accused in the case. "Acquittal of
the accused due to the non-appearance of the victim girl, besides giving an impression about inablility
and failure of the state to provide protection to the victim/witness, weakens faith of the society in the
criminal justice system and raises question about its purpose," additional sessions judge Santosh Snehi
Mann said while directing the police commissioner to take necessary action against the responsible
officers of the Kamla Market police station. In its judgment, the court observed several glitches in the
investigation during the trial. It faulted the police for not attempting to nab a couple who sold the victim to
a woman named Suman who was also not arrested. Moreover, a police search party that rescued the
victim from a brothel at GB Road was not accompanied by private persons, depriving the prosecution of
independent witnesses. The victim in her statement to the police had accused Reshma of forcing many
other girls to indulge in prostitution at kotha No. 58. The police, however, failed to examine any other girl
to corroborate the statement of the victim leading to a major dent in the prosecution case. With no
witnesses to depose against the accused persons and no other evidence with the prosecution in the
absence of the girl, the judge observed the prosecution had "miserably failed" to prove its case. (Times of
India 18/7/11)
‘Women responsible for foeticide’, repeats AIWC chief, then backtracks (8)
Chandigarh: A meeting to prepare women for the upcoming Women’s Reservation Bill by the All India
Women Congress (AIWC) turned out to be an exercise in woman bashing, ending with a free-for-all
between two rival groups on Monday. Newly appointed AIWC president Anita Verma set the tone for the
day through a press release which said, “Women alone are responsible for female foeticide.” Verma, in
the press statement, blamed women for agreeing to abort a female foetus under pressure from husband
and in-laws. The statement said it starts with a woman — the mother-in-law is usually the first to ask for
sex determination tests and abortion — and ends with a woman who agrees to abort the girl child and
becomes a party to the crime. However, Verma later disowned the press statement. “I have not issued
this statement. The words — women alone responsible for female foeticide — is a mischief played by
someone,” she said. The private public relations firm which had released the press note said it had put it
together for the press conference and the note had been faxed to Punjab Mahila Congress president
Ratna for approval. “It was released only after being screened,” said the firm’s director. The AIWC
president, meanwhile, had more nuggets of advice on why a girl child should be more desirable. “I am a
mother of two daughters. I will get two well-settled sons-in-law. So, as mothers of daughters, one is also
relieved of the bigger tension of settling sons,” she said. (Indian Express 19/7/11)
Child sex ratio worse in rural Maharashtra (8)
MUMBAI: Rural Maharashtra seems to love the girl child even less than the state's urban areas. In the
most shocking blow to the girl child so far, the newly released provisional Census 2011 data shows that
fewer girls are born in rural areas than in urban. The child sex ratio, which indicates the number of girls
born for every 1,000 boys, has fallen from 916 in rural Maharashtra to 880-a drop of 36 points. In
contrast, the child sex ratio in urban Maharashtra has dipped from 908 to 888 in the last decade. The
director of Census operations in Maharashtra, Ranjit Singh Deol, told TOI that the child sex ratio of both
urban and rural areas fell over the last decade. "While urban areas have fared better than rural areas, the
child sex ratio has dropped in both. The ratio has fallen from 916 to 880 in rural areas in the last decade
and from 908 to 888 in urban areas." Social activist Sabu George, who was the first to move the Supreme
Court over two decades ago against female foeticide, said, "Maharashtra has always been considered
one of India's most liberal states for women. This was also reflected in its child sex ratio, which was in
sync with the better ratio in the southern states. North has always had a poor child sex ratio especially in
states such as Punjab and Haryana." But George said the 2011 provisional Census data showed a
shocking transition. "If you look at the maps put up in the Census 2011 website, it seems that
Maharashtra has joined the northern states." He fears that Maharashtra's notorious districts such as rural
Beed, which has a child sex ratio of 789, will slip further. " Mumbai may also go the Punjab way in the
next Census if corrective steps are not taken soon," George added. One of the main reasons for the
dipping child sex ratio, according to Dr P Arokiasamy of IIPS, is female discrimination worsened by low
total fertility rate (the number of children a woman bears in her lifetime). "Two decades ago, the average
number of children per woman in Maharashtra was three. Now it is either two or one," he said. Due to this
preference for smaller families, he said, there is an increase in sex-determination and sex-selective
abortions. (Times of India 19/7/11)
J&K woman alleges rape by army men, probe ordered (8)
Srinagar: Army on Friday ordered a probe into allegations that its soldiers had raped a woman in Kulgam
district, but her medical examination showed no signs of violence which prima facie indicates that she
may not have been sexually assaulted. Both the Army and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that strict
action would be taken if the allegation of Ruqaya Bano, a 32-year-old woman from Gujjarpatti Manzpora
in Kulgam -- 80 kms from here, was proven. However, late in the evening, highly-placed sources said that
clinical examination of the woman showed presence of dead sperms. Average life of a sperm is 72 hours
and it was indicative that the sexual assualt had not taken place. The woman had yesterday lodged a
police complaint accusing unidentified army personnel of abducting her on July 19 and being subjected to
gang rape before being left off on July 21. The state government was treading cautiously and had sent
her vaginal swab for forensic tests. The incident generated political heat with opposition PDP president
Mehbooba Mufti rushing to the scene and demanding stern action against the culprits. Immediately after
her departure, people gathered in the streets and indulged in stone pelting and also burnt down down a
government jeep and a motorcyle. The Chief Minister said an identification parade of soldiers from the
army unit stationed there could be held. "Size of army unit in area is less than 20 strong so identification
parade won't be a problem. Guilty won't be spared either AFSPA or no AFSPA," Omar said on microblogging website Twitter. The Army, on its part, also announced a Court of Inquiry to probe the charges
but maintained that the allegations can be an instigation to defame the force. "If there is any truth in the
allegation, then it is a criminal act against which strict action must be taken. Army is cooperating in the
police investigation and we have launched a separate probe of our own," General Officer Commanding of
the Army's 15 Corps Lt Gen Hasnain told reporters here. Hasnain said it was "impossible" that two
soldiers will remain detached from their company for 48 hours, without anyone in the command not being
informed about it. Police has registered a case under sections 366 and 377 RPC and constituted a
special investigation team to probe the allegations. The Government rushed its senior minister Sakina
Itoo to the spot. The minister accused Mehbooba Mufti of trying to whip up passion among people over
the alleged rape of a woman by army personnel in Kulgam district. (Zee News 22/7/11)
Abandoned by families (8)
In January last year, the Gurgaon Police registered an FIR for dowry harassment in the Neha Chhikara
case. The former air hostess was alleged by her husband Ankit Dalal to have leapt off the deck of a luxury
cruise liner, near the Bahamas. He worked as a manager on the ship. Her natal family, which filed the
FIR, alleges extreme torture by her spouse and in-laws over dowry. In a similar case, Ruchi Bhuttan,
married into a family in another posh Gurgaon colony, was found hanging this July. Her parents now are
crying foul, claiming the incident to have been precipitated by marital violence, husband’s extra-marital
affair and in-laws’ unceasing demands for dowry. The common feature in both cases is that the natal
family seems as culpable as the marital since they refused to give refuge to either Neha or Ruchi, despite
knowing that the daughters wanted to get out of a bad marriage. These were westernised girls, forced into
an untenable situation. The invariable response of hide-bound parents, confronted by a difficult choice, is
— “Lok kya kahenge?” They forget that an untimely and tragic death silences all chatter, and obviates the
need to make a decision. Delhi and satellite towns seem flush with the monetary gains of economic
liberalisation. Staying at one of these places is an edifying experience because one gets to view a
schizoid society: All the trappings of modernity that money can buy co-exist with rigidly hidebound feudal
mores. Neo-liberal reforms may have allowed in foreign companies, funds, fashion and fixers but the
worst of tradition governs social relations and customs. The era of austerity long being over, marriage
now is an overtly commercial transaction for most, with dowries, more lavish than before, owing to the
sudden influx of wealth, being the hallmark of conjugal alliances. A wedding among powerful land-owning
Gujjars in the capital’s Chattarpur area in March this year had the media agog over the crores of rupees
spent on the arrangements; and bestowal of a helicopter by the bride’s family on the groom’s. It was
speculated to be money, obtained from land and property deals, the staple of neo-liberal reforms.
Ostentatious spending on marriages and the system of barter, termed dowry, was never so gross in the
socialist era. Nor was human life so devalued with murders over property and land disputes; shootouts at
weddings; honour killings, spurred by inter-caste, inter-gotra or similar alliances; dowry deaths and other
crimes escalating. The irony is that the highest incidence of such crimes is reported from the upwardly
mobile satellite towns, which testify to the success of neo-liberal reforms. But, liberal attitudes are hard to
imbibe for a people, firmly entrenched over centuries in feudal mores. Thus, while their children may
study in elite English-medium schools and colleges, they slide back on retrogressive customs in social
matters. When there is irretrievable breakdown of marriage, common sense dictates that the couple goes
in for divorce. This is especially important for the wife as she is in an alien home. However, since custom
dictates that they stick together, and divorce and the single status carry stigma — the favourite refrain
being ‘Log kya kahenge?’ — the marital family usually refrains from giving the daughter refuge. This often
ends in tragedy. The process of Sanskritisation ensures that no class is immune to the insidious influence
of custom. As landless, unskilled and manual workers also struggle to climb the social ladder, females
working shoulder to shoulder with males, family rifts appear. Some have a painful fallout. In Gurgaon
again, this writer had a domestic help called Mamta, from a family of kumhars, potters. The girl, inspired
by the apparent freedom of urban working women, strived for a better life for her own children. She would
urge her husband to move out of the paternal home and create an independent space for their family.
Clashes with her in-laws were frequent, and she even had a police case filed against them. She was
found hanging from the bedroom fan one day, and her husband re-married a widow within the year. It is
difficult to determine in such cases whether it is suicide or murder. It is an unfortunate fact that
globalisation has not translated into enhancing the status of females. Rather, escalating consumerism
and access to wealth by social groups that swear by feudal mores even if they sport jeans, speed around
in the latest cars, shop at malls and generally flaunt newly acquired riches has further served to degrade
that status. For, greater wealth, acquired usually via the simple expedient of selling forebears’ farmland
and other immovable assets, contracting property and other deals, selling merchandise and the like
seems to have whetted greed in social relations, especially marriage. The commodification of women,
and by extension, men, is now so absolute that suicides, murders, rape, abductions, sexual trafficking are
the order of the day. Female foeticide, which preempts harassment for dowry, is said to be highest among
the landed gentry. Honour killings, a practice peculiar to this section, stemming from its zealous protection
of its land holdings and females — incidentally, the greatest beneficiaries of economic reforms on account
of the real estate boom — but occasionally reported among other sections, as in the Rizwanur Rehman
muder case, occur with routine regularity. They must have occurred earlier too but may be more frequent
now because of greater social mobility. Clearly, uncurbed greed has swamped all vestiges of humanity.
(Pioneer 22/7/11)
‘Cradle baby' scheme to be extended (8)
The ‘cradle baby' scheme, a brainchild of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, will be extended to Cuddalore,
Ariyalur, Perambalur, Villupuram and Tiruvannamalai districts as the 2011 census has revealed a fall in
the child sex ratio in these districts. “The figures are causing concern,” Ms Jayalalithaa said in an official
statement on Sunday. She added that female infanticide and foeticide could be the reason for this trend in
these districts. Cradle baby centres will be set up at a cost of Rs. 47.45 lakh and each centre will have a
superintendent, an assistant nurse, an assistant and other workers. The centres will have adequate stock
of milk powder, medicine and clothes. Besides, cradles will be placed at hospitals, primary health centres
and children homes to receive girl children. She said the cradle baby scheme, launched in Salem district
in 1992 with a view to eradicating female infanticide, was later extended to Madurai, Theni, Dindigul,
Dharmapuri, Erode and Namakkal districts in 2001 when she became Chief Minister of the State for the
second time. As many as 188 centres in these districts were equipped with incubators, life-saving drugs,
refrigerators, gas connections, bed sheets and clothes for children. The government also organised
camps, seminars and conferences to create awareness of female infanticide. “The scheme was
appreciated not just in India, but across the world. Many girls were saved from the clutches of death and
were later given in adoption; they grew up in families and received good education and are leading a
prosperous life,” he said. Ms. Jayalalithaa said that so far 3,200 girls and 582 boys had been rescued.
Subsequently, 2,088 girls and 372 boys were given in adoption in the country and another 170 girls and
27 boys were in foreign countries. Non-resident Indians adopted 13 girls and 5 boys. A total of 160
children were handed over to their parents. She said the scheme and the awareness created by the
government had had the desired effect in these districts. The child sex ratio in the State was 1000:942 as
per the 2001 census and the figure became 1000: 946 in 2011 census. But Cuddalore, Perambalur,
Ariyalur, Villupuram and Tiruvannamalai witnessed a negative trend. (The Hindu 24/7/11)
Abandoned foetus stillborn: Report (8)
PUNE: The female foetus, found near the mortuary of the sub-district hospital in Parli taluka of Beed
district on Saturday was 'stillborn', the preliminary report of the civil surgeon says. The incident has
sparked rumours in the town that has gained notoriety for female foeticide. "Clinically, the baby as
stillborn, says the report of Beed district civil surgeon. The post-mortem report is awaited," Mahendra
Ahiwale, assistant director of state family welfare bureau, told TOI on Sunday. The civil surgeon has
submitted the report to the additional director of state health services on Saturday. Social activists, local
residents and vernacular newspaper journalists in Parli are, however, saying that the authorities are trying
to cover up the entire episode which has created quite a flutter among officials as the monsoon session of
state assembly is set to begin on Monday. (Times of India 25/7/11)
Rape bid: 5 men abduct Gurgaon girl; rescued after dramatic car chase (8)
New Delhi Five intoxicated men harass them for refusing to dance, abduct one in Gurgaon; arrested after
car chase with cops They went to a Gurgaon mall to show their relatives around, but the incidents that
unfolded there turned their outing into a nightmare. Four women, including two employees of the mall,
were allegedly harassed by five men who were intoxicated, their vehicle intercepted by the accused and
one of them dragged out and hauled into another vehicle, which sped away towards Faridabad. The
incident happened when the women (all aged between 22 and 25) were leaving the mall for their house in
the wee hours on Sunday when the five men approached them in their brand new car, police said. The
men, were celebrating the purchase of the car by a friend and were heavily intoxicated when they were
denied entry into a disco in the mall. They spotted the four women walk past and started misbehaving by
asking them to dance with them, officials said. When they refused to give in to the mens’ demands and
left in a huff, they were chased, intercepted near Ghitorni Metro station and one of them ruthlessly
dragged into the car of the accused. While three of the women were shell shocked as the men snatched
their mobile phones and sped away with their friend, their taxi driver sprung to the occasion and called the
police using his phone. “Barricades were put up and vehicle checking intensified. The accused, after
abducting the woman, drove towards Andheria Mor and then towards the Aaya Nagar picket so as to
escape to Faridabad. However, at the picket, on seeing heavy police presence, they took a U-turn and
sped off on the wrong side of the carriageway”, said deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Chayya
Sharma. What followed was a dramatic one-and-half hour chase involving seven patrolling motorcycles, a
gypsy and an emergency response vehicle. On seeing a posse of policemen, the men panicked and
decided to take the route via Jaunapur to reach the new highway connecting Gurgaon and Faridabad.
There too, the patrolling party caught up with them and rammed their car a couple of times warning them
to stop, the official said. “They were cornered from all sides. The men got off and tried escaping into the
darkness. However, policemen on motorcycle managed to apprehend two of them while three others
escaped. The victim was rescued unhurt from the car,” Sharma said. The accused have been identified
as Kartar Singh, Pramod Singh, Ravish Nagar, Deepak and Arun — all residents of Haryana and in the
age group of 22 and 26. A case was registered at the Fatehpur Beri police station and efforts are on to
nab the remaining three accused. “Kartar Singh is a B Sc final year student from a prestigious college in
Faridabad. He runs a playschool along with his sister, and had got the vehicle for transporting children.
He is unmarried and his father works as supervisor in Faridabad. Pramod Singh is a BBA final year
student also from a prestigious college in Faridabad,” said Sharma. (Express India 26/7/11)
NCPCR: Sex change reports a figment of imagination (8)
Bhopal: A team of National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has termed as unfounded
and figment of imagination a report appeared in section of the press that a number of girl babies have
been transformed into boy babies by genitoplasty in Indore. The team of experts visited Indore and after
in-depth inquiry into the matter, they made this observation in their report to the PMO. The team members
visited various hospitals at Indore and talked to the pediatric surgeons and the parents of children who
had undergone surgeries. The team comprised two experts of the Commission — Dinesh Laroiya and BK
Tikku and senior pediatric surgeons of AIIMS Dr M Vajpeyi, retired Head of the Department of Anatomy
and Genetics AIIMS, Dr Kiran Kucheria and Medico-Legal Expert from Mumbai, Amit Karkhanis. The
team reached Indore on June 26 and after conducting inquiries concluded that no evidence of such
surgeries has been found. The news claiming that 200-300 such surgeries had been performed was not
correct. The report says that Dr BK Lahoti in his oral and written statement said that the conversion of a
female baby to a male is a figment of imagination and cannot be done. The Commission desired the
media to set a protocol in publishing such sensitive stories and should undertake proper verification
before publishing them to avoid any unnecessary sensation. The Commission also expected the Press
Council of India to take cognizance to such matters and set norms in this regard. (Pioneer 28/7/11)
2 Gz’bad girls abducted, gangraped (8)
New Delhi: Two girl students kidnapped in separate incidents from neighbouring Ghaziabad district were
allegedly gangraped by their abductors, who are on the run. One of the victim was discovered lying
unconscious outside the National Commission of Women’s office on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg last
Saturday. The incident has once again raised questions over the safety of women in the national capital
region as a 24-year-old girl was rescued from her abductors by police in south Delhi early on Sunday.
The first incident was reported on last Saturday when a 16-year-old girl, who was allegedly kidnapped
from Ghaziabad’s Hapur area, was found lying outside the NCW office. Police sources said the victim was
brought to Delhi by a group of men and kept at a residence where they allegedly raped her repeatedly
before dumping her in an unconscious state near the office of National Commission for Women in the
city. The victim was spotted by a passerby who informed the police. The girl was sent to hospital for a
medical examination. She narrated the events to her family following which a case was registered on
Tuesday at a Ghaziabad police station. “One person has been arrested in the matter,” senior
superintendent of police, Ghaziabad, Raghubir Lal said. Earlier, an 18-year-old girl was allegedly
kidnapped from Vijaynagar area in Ghaziabad on July 19 by a group of youth when she had gone to
purchase books. Her mother, who lodged a complaint with the police alleged that her daughter was fed
some sedatives for over a week and was allegedly gangraped repeatedly by the unidentified assailants in
different parts of Hardwar and Delhi. “The victim was thrown out of a vehicle in front of her house on July
25. She was in an inebriated state and narrated the incident to her mother when she gained
consciousness. No arrests have been made so far,” a senior police official said. In both the cases, the
medical examination of the victims has confirmed rape and cases have been registered. “We have
identified most of the suspects in the case and they will be arrested soon,” a senior police official said.
(Asian Age 28/7/11)
Besharmi morcha: If you are shameless, so am I (8)
After much delay and opposition, SlutWalk 2011 finally reached Delhi on Sunday morning. The Indian
version of the global march against sexual violence took place at Jantar Mantar, where many, including
men, condemned the notion that links a woman’s choice of clothing with rape and molestation. Unlike
SlutWalks in other countries, the march in Delhi didn’t see women dressed in short dresses or lingerie.
Volunteers, in fact, donned white T-shirts with their names printed on them. The idea, they said, was to
shift the focus from clothes to the cause. “The issue of how women are treated is far more important,”
said Mishka Singh. A participant of the 'Slut Walk' writes on the protest wall in New Delhi on Sunday.
Scores gathered at Jantarmantar to protest violence against women Participants carried placards with
messages “If you are shameless, so am I”, “Change your thinking not your clothes” and “Our life, our
body, our rights”. They raised slogans, challenging the view that skimpy clothes lead to crimes against
women, as they walked on Jantar Mantar Road. The event, which was renamed ‘SlutWalk arthaat
Besharmi Morcha 2011’, was organised by Umang Sabharwal and a number of other students from Delhi
University. “We didn’t expect such a great response. Because of the open debates and street plays we’ve
been having, we knew people were aware of it, but this is fantastic,” Mishka said. The SlutWalk
movement began in Canada after a police officer remarked that women could avoid being raped by not
dressing like “sluts”. “It is irresponsible for the government and the police to say that women should not
step out of the house post 9 pm to avoid getting raped. Where is the humanity in this world? Out of a
population of over a crore, if the attitude of even a few thousand men changes, this cause will have been
successful,” said Puneet Sarin, an aspiring filmmaker who attended the rally. Sunday’s event was smaller
compared to SlutWalks in other parts of the world. However, a number of foreigners showed up for the
march. Anna from Germany wore a white vest and had the words ‘slut’ and ‘besharm’ painted all over
herself. Anna is a member of Delhi-based NGO Women, Work & Health Initiative. Ragnihild from Norway
said that the issue of women’s safety was relevant world over. “Women should be safe everywhere and at
anytime. The focus should now shift from finding the victim’s fault to punishing the offender.” The Delhi
SlutWalk wasoriginally planned in June, but it was postponed. (Mumbai Mirror 1/8/11)
Slutwalk: Delhi women walk the talk to stop assaults (8)
New Delhi | Agency: DNA: The blood-curdling shriek of a girl rang through the road leading to Jantar
Mantar in New Delhi on Sunday morning. She was being raped — in a street play. Stunned, the audience
looked on, as the other actors — both men and women — asked them why no one steps forward as
scores of women in the city are sexually assaulted every day. The play was a part of India’s first ‘Slutwalk
Arthaat Besharmi Morcha’ campaign to raise the voice against the attitude of blaming rape or sexual
harassment on any aspect of a woman’s appearance. Joined by hundreds of enthusiastic people, the
walk drove home the point that sexual violence against women must be stopped and this was the
society’s collective responsibility. Slutwalks have become a global phenomenon to protest against sexual
violence after a police officer in Toronto caused outrage by stating in a speech to university students that
women should avoid “dressing like sluts” to avoid being victimised. The rally was held amid tight security
but unlike in other parts of the world, women participants didn’t dress provocatively here. “… In any case,
no matter what a girl wears, salwar kameez or jeans, she is teased or assaulted,” said Archie Sharma, a
Delhi University student who participated in the walk. “How does it matter what I wear or how I walk or
how I talk? It gives no one a right to pass nasty comments or worse, sexually assault me,” she added. A
massive poster was also put up where the participants wrote their messages. “You stare at me not
because of my clothes but because I’m a woman”, read a placard. Others placards had messages like
“My short skirt has nothing to do with you!”, “The way a woman dresses is not an invitation to sexual
assault”, “It’s not about being a slut or not, it’s about being human!” (DNA 1/8/11)
Battered by husband, woman hangs herself (8)
CHANDIGARH: A 33-year-old woman committed suicide at her Sector 38-West house on Sunday night
after harassment by her drunkard husband Gurmeet Singh for most of her married life. The husband of
Harpreet Kaur, alias Preet, and father-in-law Bhupinder Singh were arrested for abetment to suicide
following the complaint of her father Gurcharan Singh. Just before she took the extreme step, Kaur was
abused and thrashed by her husband in the presence of their three children, police sources said.
Gurmeet is a taxi driver and his father a retired Punjab government official. Debunking the suicide theory,
the victim's parents alleged that she was murdered and then hanged from a ceiling fan, but police said
constant harassment had forced the woman to take the extreme step. Kaur, a native of Bassi Pathana in
Fathegarh Sahib, had got married in November 1996. Harbans Kaur, the victim's mother said, "Preet
began facing harassment three years after her marriage and had filed a complaint against Gurmeet at
Bassi Pathana police station in 2001, but a compromise was reached. He continued to abuse and assault
my daughter nearly every day." DSP (south) B S Negi said preliminary investigation revealed that after
being beaten up, Kaur remained in the front room of her house and them hanged herself. Her children
Jatinder Kaur, 14, Jashanjot Singh, 11, and Prabhjot Kaur, 10, were in the next room along with their
father, he added. The body has been kept in the mortuary of Sector-16 Government Multi-speciality
Hospital (GMH) and would be handed over to her family after postmortem examination on Tuesday. A
case under sections 306 (abetment of suicide) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC was registered at
Sector-39 police station. (Times of India 2/8/11)
Cop trap half-baked, girl at stalker’s mercy (8)
Bolpur, Aug. 3: A Visva-Bharati student was on the verge of being sexually assaulted by a pursuer with a
history of harassing her after police advised her to call him over to her rented house but left the place
unguarded. The girl, who had been asked by Visva-Bharati authorities to vacate the varsity hostel after
Shailendra Kharey had accused her of being a “shady woman” and threatened to kill her in February,
called up the police when he arrived at her home in Bolpur around 10.45 this morning. The girl had
alerted the police after Kharey, a computer technician, as he had been pestering her on the phone for the
past two days. The police then asked her to call him over to her place so that he could be arrested.
Perhaps because the police were not aware when the youth would turn up or because they presumed the
station, more than 1km away from her home, was not too far, no plainclothes personnel were posted near
the girl’s place. When the boy knocked on the door this morning and asked the girl to let her in, she called
up the police who advised her to “keep him engaged” and “stall for time”. The girl, who had broken up with
Kharey before coming to Kala Bhavan to study fine arts, let him in. The youth then bolted the door from
inside. By the time two police officers arrived after 15 minutes, Kharey, a technician with a leading IT firm
in Allahabad, had pinned the girl to the bed and was about to assault her. “When we arrived, we found the
door of the girl’s house bolted from inside. We heard cries for help. We broke open the door and rescued
the girl. We have arrested the youth,” a sub-inspector said. In her FIR, the girl has accused Kharey of
harassment, trespass and attempt to outrage her modesty. On February 22 and 23, Kharey had called up
the vice-principal of Visva-Bharati’s Kala Bhavan and accused the girl of being a “shady woman”. He had
threatened to kill the girl if no action was taken. The varsity had asked the girl to vacate the hostel, saying
the “safety of the other hostel roommates was at stake”. When her parents, who live in Delhi, expressed
concern over her security, the police assured them about her safety. Birbhum police chief Nishad Pervez
said the cops were in “regular touch” with the girl. “We had told her to inform us if the youth tried to harass
her,” he said. Anita Mukherjee, who runs Onwards, an NGO for underprivileged women, said the police
should not have told the girl to ask the youth to come to her place while she was alone at home. “Instead,
the police should either have been waiting at the girl’s house for the youth to arrive or asked the girl to
meet him at a place outside. What they did exposed her to danger, which is precisely what happened,”
she said. (Telegraph 4/8/11)
Ulhasnagar immolation: Kin demand CID probe (8)
ULHASNAGAR: Family of 28-year-old Prashant Lahane who set himself ablaze outside the Ulhasnagar
Municipal Corporation (UMC) on Tuesday has demanded a probe by the Criminal Investigation
Department (CID), saying the local police are trying to shield the accused. Prashant was upset that the
UMC had not taken action on his sister's complaint of sexual harassment against an officer of its
education department and some political leaders from Ulhasnagar. Prashant's father Sandulal told TOI,
"We want home minister R R Patil to order a CID probe into the matter. The police are trying to shield the
accused due to political pressure. Initially, the cops said they had found a suicide note but later denied
this." Accusing the cops of high-handed behaviour, Sandulal said his daughter was forced to leave the
Vithalwadi police station when she went there to lodge a complaint against education department officials.
"Instead of filing an FIR, the policemen told her to leave the station premises," he said, adding that the
same fate met his daughter at the Central police station where she had gone to file the complaint. Deputy
commissioner of police Shivaji Rathod said, "The family's allegations are false. We did not find any
suicide note at the spot. It is probable that Prashant was carrying a note on him and it may have been
destroyed in the fire. We have registered a case against four persons and are investigating the matter."
(Times of India 4/8/11)
Assistance for girl child doubles (8)
In a move aimed at preventing female infanticide and encourage education of girls, the State Government
on Thursday said it would increase its assistance under its Girl Child Protection Scheme from Rs.22,200
to Rs.50,000. Under the scheme, if parents having one girl child opted for family planning operation,
Rs.50,000 (earlier Rs.22,200) would be deposited in the child's name. If family planning was chosen after
having two children, the assistance will be Rs.25,000 to each child (earlier it was Rs.15,200). The
government also said it would remove the annual ceiling on the number of beneficiaries under its scheme
to provide marriage assistance to differently-abled persons. It would provide loans up to Rs.15 lakh with
25 per cent subsidy to self-help groups which are ready to undertake income generating activities for
transgenders. For minorities, the government had a few proposals. The State Wakf Board would now get
Rs.1 crore instead of Rs.45 lakh as grant, while the number of ulemas availing of pension would be
increased from 2,400 to 2,600. Their monthly pension would go up from Rs.750 to Rs.1000. It said the
functioning of welfare boards for various kinds of unorganised workers would be revamped to improve
their performance. Pension for journalists will be increased from Rs.5,000 to Rs.6,000 and their family
pension from Rs.2,500 to Rs.3,000 per month. The government will also construct a Media Centre in the
new building of the Madras Reporters' Guild at the Omandurar Government Estate at a cost of Rs.50
lakh. (The Hindu 5/8/11)
Crimes against women surge by 18 percent in a year in Pak (8)
Karachi, Aug 6 : An 18 percent increase in crimes against women, including forced marriages and sexual
assaults, has been registered over a period of one year, a comparison of cases registered in 61 districts
across the country has revealed. According to First Information Reports (FIRs) in these 61 districts, the
number of total reported crimes increased from 849 in May 2010 to 999 in May 2011, the Daily Times
quoted a Free and Fair Election Network (FAFEN) report on crimes against women, as saying. The
number of cases of forced marriages, incidents of insults and sexual harassment increased significantly,
while the spread of more serious crimes like rape and honour killing also increased. Attacks on modesty
increased the most during the reporting year, as 58 percent more FIRs were registered compared to May
2010. Besides, cases of forced marriages and sexual harassment went up by 42 percent and 17 percent,
respectively. However, FIRs registered against rape, honour killings and offences against marriage
decreased by 25 percent, 17 percent and 1 percent, respectively, the report said. Crimes against women
were more widespread this year as the number of districts reporting them increased in May 2011
compared to May 2010. FIRs against 181 incidents of rape were registered in 34 districts in May 2011
compared to 241 in 30 districts the same month last year, while 25 cases of honour killings were reported
in 12 districts in May 2011 against 30 reported in nine districts in May 2010. (New Kerala 6/8/11)
Kolhapur's Shivaji University department head held for sexual harassment (8)
Kolhapur | Agency: DNA: The head of geography department of Shivaji University (SU), KC Ramotra, 52,
has been arrested on charges of sexually harassing a woman assistant professor of the same
department. The police, after arresting him late on Thursday night, produced him in the court on Friday,
which remanded him in police custody till August 10. The varsity management has suspended Ramotra.
The incident has sent shock waves among the staff and students of the university. The Rajarampuri
police have charged him under different sections of Information Technology Act and IPC, said police
inspector Sanjay Kurundkar. Ramotra has been the HoD of the geography department since 2008. He
also has a doctorate from Jawaharlal Nehru University. The 37-year-old victim, who is married, has been
teaching in the university for the last 12 years, the police said, adding that the suspect had been allegedly
harassing her for the pastsix months. “The victim had given a written complaint against Ramotra on
August 2 following which the varsity initiated action. The university’s committee against sexual
harassment at the workplace is investigating the matter,’’ said SU’s vice chancellor, NJ Pawar. Pawar
said he had warned the suspect earlier when he came to know through rumours on the campus. The
victim told media persons that she had ignored Ramotra’s verbal remarks for many months. In November,
before her interview for the permanent appointment as assistant professor, Ramotra allegedly demanded
sexual favours,which she declined. The victim said Ramotra allegedly outraged her modesty after
entering her cabin two or three times. (DNA 6/8/11)
Woman killed for dowry (8)
VARANASI: A 25-year-old woman was allegedly killed for dowry by her in-laws in Faridpur village, under
Dildarnagar police station, in Ghazipur on Friday. A case of dowry killing has been registered in this
connection, but the police are yet to arrest the accused. According to reports, the woman, Dharmsheela,
had been strangled. The Dildarnagar police inspector told TOI over phone that her parents lodged a
dowry killing case against four members of the family. They were absconding. The body was sent for
post-mortem. Man commits suicide: A 50-year-old man, Chand Muhammad, committed suicide by
hanging himself from a tree in Saraiyya locality under Jaitpura police station in Varanasi district on Friday.
(Times of India 6/8/11)
Proposal to amend the Dowry Prohibition Act ,1961 (8)
The Government of India is mulling over a proposal to review/amend some provisions of Dowry
Prohibition Act, 1961.Replying to a question in Lok Sabha today the Minister of Women and Child
Development Smt. Krishna Tirath stated that the Government has a proposal for amendment to the
Dowry Prohibition Act,1961 to make it more effective and prevent its misuse .The Minister revealed that
No complaints/ representations alleging misuse of Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 have been received. She
however informed that, some complaints/ representations regarding alleged harassment of husband and
other family members for inflicting cruelty on account of dowry using Section 498A of IPC, have been
received. Smt. Tirath stated that for preventing the misuse of Section 498A of IPC, Government has
issued an Advisory to all the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations on 20th October,
2009. They have been advised to comply with the procedures laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court
and that in cases of matrimonial disputes, the first recourse should be to effect conciliation and mediation
between the warring spouses and their families. The recourse to filing charges under Section 498A IPC
may be resorted to where such conciliation fails and where there appears a prima facie case under
Section 498A and other laws. (PIB, Govt. of India 5/8/11)
Two city hospitals sealed for carrying out illegal abortions (8)
MUMBAI: The civic administration's health department on Monday sealed two hospitals-one in Govandi
and another in Dharavi-for carrying out illegal abortions. The BMC sealed the operation theatre of
Shabnam Hospital in Govandi's Baiganwadi area after reports that a six-month-old foetus was abandoned
by the hospital's owner, Dr Diwan Gupta, and the child's mother, Yasmin Khan, a resident of Mumbra.
The Shivaji Nagar police arrested both and on Monday, their police custody was extended to August 11.
A BMC official said, "We took action under the MTP Act, 1971, and seized all paperwork from Shabnam
Hospital. It's not clear whether it was sex-selective abortion." Shivaji Nagar police station's senior
inspector R S Agarwal said, "We are questioning the doctor to find out about other similar offences."
(Times of India 9/8/11)
Bill passed seeking speedy disposal of rape cases in UP (8)
Lucknow | Agency: PTI: For speedy disposal of rape cases and stringent provision of bail for the accused,
the Uttar Pradesh Assembly today passed a bill amending the Code of Criminal Procedure. In the Code of
Criminal Procedure (Uttar Pradesh Second Amendment) Bill a few sections and sub-sections related to
trial and bail provisions in such cases have been introduced. Section 235-A of the bill, passed by the
Assembly, provides a judge to conclude the trial of offences under section 376 of the IPC as far as
possible within a period of six months. Under Section 437, (clause 1-1a), a person should not be released
if there appears a reasonable ground for believing that he is guilty of an offence of rape, punishable with
imprisonment. This imprisonment shall not be less than seven years but can extend to a life term or for
more than 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine. Section 439-A provides that a person arrested on
charges of rape can be provided bail by a court only on two grounds. First, the court including the High
Court and Sessions Court, for the reasons to be recorded in writing, is satisfied that there are reasonable
grounds for believing that such person is not guilty. Second, such person is under the age of 16 or a sick
or infirm. The House also passed UP Tree Conservation (Amendment) Bill, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial
University Bill and Shobhit University Bill. (DNA 10/8/11)
Uttar Pradesh tops list of dowry deaths (8)
New Delhi, Aug 10: Uttar Pradesh reported the maximum number of dowry deaths in 2009, while the
figure was nil for most northeastern states, Minister of State for Home Affairs Jitendra Singh said.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha Tuesday, he said that in 2009, a total of 2,232 cases of dowry
deaths were reported in Uttar Pradesh and 9,203 arrests were made. "About 6,518 persons were chargesheeted and 3,245 were convicted in these cases," said Singh. Uttar Pradesh was followed by Bihar,
which reported 1,295 cases of dowry deaths and 2,908 arrests. Northeastern states of Arunachal
Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim and union territories Dadar and Nagar
Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep and Puducherry did not report any case of dowry death, he added.
(New Kerala 10/8/11)
Now, Maharashtra govt plans to treat female foeticide as murder (8)
MUMBAI: To check the declining girl child sex ratio in Maharashtra, the state government may treat
female foeticide as murder and book culprits under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). "To allow
for stern punishment for those involved in sex determination, the public health department has asked the
law and judiciary department for its opinion on whether the Section 302 can be applied against such
offenders," Fauzia Khan, minister of state for public health said in the state legislative council on
Wednesday. Khan was replying to a debate on the worsening child sex ratio in the state. The issue was
raised by Alka Desai, Mohan Joshi and Rajan Teli (all Congress), and the NCP's Vinayak Mete and
Hemant Takle. Mete said the government should intensify its campaign to save the girl child. "There are
many loopholes in the mandatory 'F" form," said Shobha Fadnavis of the BJP. In her reply, Khan said,
"The government has been taking appropriate measures to curb the falling sex ratio and punish errant
sonography centres and radiologists involved in sex determination." "Portable sonography centres would
not be permitted. Portable sonography will only be allowed in case of an emergency with the permission
of the government and that too only at hospitals, not at a stand-alone centre," she added. Addressing a
similar issue in the assembly last week, public health minister Suresh Shetty had said that plans were
afoot to bring under the purview of the law those who force a woman to undergo sex determination test.
The issue took an ugly turn after female foetuses were found in a river in Parli near Beed. The provisional
figures of the 2011 census show the child sex ratio in 2011 in Maharashtra was 883 girls per 1,000 boys
as against 993 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001. (Times of India 11/8/11)
Two girls in lonely battle against pervert professor (8)
A senior professor of a college in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district has been accused of sexually
harassing 23 girl students. Most of the victims are not pursuing charges against him because of pressure
from the family and the college, but two students have refused to cower down and have demanded his
removal. Ramakant Gavde, 40, teaches accounts at Gogate Walke College in Banda, a village in
Sindhudurg. Allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against him earlier this year. The trigger: in
December 2010, he organised a National Service Scheme (NSS) camp for 80 students. During the camp,
students caught him trying to molest a second-year girl. The incident rocked the college, and soon more
students came forward alleging harassment by Gavde. Two months later, i.e. in February, 23 students
submitted two complaints against him to the then principal, VA Patil. The college management held a
meeting and assured students that action would be taken against Gavde. Twenty-one out of the 23 girls
withdrew their names from the complaints after their parents pressured them and Gavde apologised.
However, the remaining two, whose identities are being withheld by Mirror, stood their ground. They say
because of their decision, they have faced a backlash at home and taunts at the college. “It is difficult to
fight back when nobody is supporting you,” one of them said. “We have approached a local NGO and the
Mumbai University’s Women Development Cell (WDC).” WDC took up the complaints against Gavde in
May this year, and indicted him in its report. “He has been held guilty, yet he continues to teach at the
college,” the other girl said. The duo claim that some of Gavde’s victims thought about committing suicide.
“We will fight for them and get justice. We will make sure that he is sacked,” they said. (Mumbai Mirror
11/8/11)
UN voices concern about sexual violence against fleeing Somali women (8)
UNITED NATIONS : A United Nations envoy on Thursday expressed her concern about reports of sexual
violence against women and girls who are attempting to flee famine-stricken Somalia. UN Special
Representative to Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallström, said in a
statement on Thursday that she is concerned over reports that women and girls fleeing famine in Somalia
were being raped or abducted and forced into marriage by bandits and other armed groups as they tried
to reach refugee camps in Kenya. Once they cross the Somalia-Kenya border or reach Dadaab - the
world's largest refugee settlement - their hopes of finding a safe haven are often overshadowed by new
dangers and hardships, including the risk of rape," said Wallström. Wallström said that the UN office has
also received alarming information about alleged rapes by Somalia's Transitional Federal Government
(TFG) forces and allied militias in south-central Somalia. In addition, her office has heard that Al-Shabaab
militants, who are fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia, were abducting girls for forced
marriage to fighters. I call on all parties to the conflict to immediately cease these gross violations of
human rights," Wallström stressed. She commended the Kenyan authorities for the efforts to respond to
the influx of tens of thousands of Somali refugees and urged the donor community to increase support to
the Kenyan Government, UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) responding to the
crisis. "There is an urgent need for services to be provided to survivors of sexual violence and for
effective camp management to minimize the risks facing women and girls. We should also improve
monitoring and reporting on sexual violence to better inform our actions," pledged Wallström. According
to humanitarian agencies, an estimated 3.7 million people, nearly half of them from Somalia, are directly
at risk of famine and tens of thousands have already perished, with 13 children out of every 10,000 under
the age of five dying every day from malnutrition and famine-related diseases. According to the UN, the
drought which is causing the famine in the Eastern Horn of Africa is expected to continue until early 2012,
and the number of people in acute livelihood crisis is expected to increase from 8.8 million in the coming
months. (New Kerala 13/8/11)
Need to fight bias against girl child: President (8)
New Delhi, Aug 14 : Expressing grief over the country's declining sex ratio, President Pratibha Patil
Sunday said that it reflected the bias against the girl child in Indian society and called for fighting such
social prejudices. "Our census sadly shows that there has been a decline in the gender ratio in the 0 to 6
age group. It has touched a low level of 914 girls as compared to 1,000 boys. It reflects the continuing
preference of boys in our society and the bias against the girl child," Patil said while addressing the nation
on the eve of India's 65th Independence Day. Calling for a fight against such social evils, Patil said: "We
have to work to eradicate the practices of dowry, child marriage and female foeticide which we are
continuing to battle even in the 21st century." "Let each citizen of the country vow to fight these social
evils. There are laws against them but we need to ensure compliance and create awareness," she added.
The president also emphasised that crime against women needs to be dealt with most sternly. "Women
and men are the two wheels of the chariot of the nation and both need to be strong. Women have
tremendous capabilities and capacities to contribute in any field, when given an opportunity," she added.
The president also appreciated the work done by self-help groups in the country. "These groups have
provided women not only with possibilities of income generating activity, but have given them confidence
and a sense of self-esteem. Government should pro-actively take measures to universalise this
movement, which will be beneficial to our agenda of women's empowerment," she added. (New Kerala
14/8/11)
Drunk parents burn infant girl in Orissa (8)
Bhubaneswar, Aug 15 , DHNS: In a bizarre incident, in the Deogarh district of western Orissa, an
inebriated tribal couple allegedly killed their 7-month-old daughter by throwing her into the kitchen fire.
The couple committed the crime while they were in a drunken state, on Sunday. Both of them have been
arrested by the district police. According to a report reaching the state headquarters, the tribal couple Silai
Hibru, 30 and his 27-year-old wife Sukramani, both residents of Panas Kudur village under the Deogarh
town police station limits, had a booze session in the evening following which they had a fight. While
fighting with each other, both of them allegedly picked up their 7-month-old daughter and threw her in to
the kitchen fire. She died on the spot. The police reached the couple’s thatched house and seized the
half-charred body of the infant after other villagers informed them about the incident. The couple has four
more children – two sons and two daughters. The killed girl child was the youngest among the five
siblings. Their 7-year-old son, an eyewitness to the incident, has reportedly narrated the tragic episode to
the police. The husband-wife duo, however, denied the murder charge saying it was just an accident. The
incident has already become a major topic of discussion in the entire Bargarh, considered a backward
districts. state. (Deccan Herald 16/8/11)
SC directs strict compliance of sexual harassment guidelines (8)
New Delhi,: A Parliamentary panel has expressed surprise on a practice where wives of senior officers of
paramilitary forces, specially BSF, have been adjudicating on sexual harassment complaints of women
employees made against their senior officials. The committee on Empowerment of Women, with the focus
on 'women in paramilitary forces' has also asked the home ministry that guidelines laid down by the
Supreme Court on sexual harassment should be complied strictly in forces like BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP,
NSG and SSB. "The committee is surprised to note that in some of these forces, specially in BSF, wives
of the officers listen to the grievances of the women employees which can never be an unbiased/impartial
corrective measure as there have been cases where the women employees were harassed by their
seniors and the wives of the senior officers sat on the judgement in the cases pertaining to the
grievances/sexual harassment," the committee said in its report tabled in the Parliament on Wednesday.
The committee also said that the guidelines of Supreme Court, as prescribed in Vishakha Dutt case, are
not being scrupulously followed in paramilitary forces. The government, while replying to the committees
observations, said "all the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) are strictly following the guidelines of the
Supreme Court in this regard and have setup the complaints committees. These committees are headed
by a lady officer of sufficiently senior rank. In the event of non-availability of a lady officer, senior to the
alleged perpetrator, respective CAPFs approach MHA for detailment of Chairperson from other
organisation." (Hindustan Times 17/8/11)
In-laws poison woman for dowry (8)
HASSAN: A 29-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her husband, a farmer, and his family
members for dowry at her residence in Basavanahally village of Arkalgud taluk, on Saturday. Police said
the incident came to light late on Tuesday evening. Police said Usha was forced to consume poison by
her husband Neelkanta, and his family members on Saturday and was admitted to Hassan Institute of
Medical Sciences, where she died on Tuesday evening. In a complaint, Usha's mother Padmama alleged
that Neelkanta and his family poisoned her daughter while demanding for dowry, said police. DySP K
Parhsuram said Usha married Neelkanta 10 years ago and has a son. A complaint has been registered at
Konanur police station against Neelkanta, his parents, Huchamma and Chikkanna, Neelkanta's elder
sister Parvathi and her husband Mahadeva, and Rangaswamy, one Neelkanta's relatives. (Times of India
18/8/11)
Women Trafficking (8)
A total of 3991, 3029 and 2848 cases were reported in the country in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively,
under various crime heads relating to human trafficking such as Procuration of Minor Girls (Sec 366-A
Indian Penal Code (IPC)), Importation of Girls (Sec 366-B IPC), Selling of Girls for Prostitution (Sec 373
IPC) and Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The Minister of Women & Child Development Smt. Krishna
Tirath placed this data in response to a question in Rajya Sabha today. The Minister cited the National
Crime Records Bureau for this information. The Minister said as per the information received from NCRB,
total of 236 cases were reported and 616 persons were arrested under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention)
Act in Assam during the 10 year period from 2000 to 2009. The Minister informed the House that the
Government is taking measures to combat trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation in the country.
The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 supplemented by the Indian Penal Code, prohibits trafficking
in human beings, including children and lays down penalties for it. A comprehensive Advisory on
Preventing and Combating Human Trafficking in India has been issued on 09.09.2009 by the Government
of India to all States/Union Territories. Further, the Ministry has been implementing the ‘Ujjawala'
Scheme, under which financial assistance is being provided for prevention of trafficking and for rescue,
rehabilitation and re-integration of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation. Under the
‘Ujjawala’ Scheme, 21 projects have been sanctioned in the North Eastern States of Assam, Manipur,
Mizoram and Nagaland. Of these, 19 projects are, inter alia, being provided financial assistance for
prevention of trafficking which includes holding sensitisation and awareness generation workshops and
preparing awareness generation material. The Minister Smt. Tirath stated that Rescue is undertaken by
the Non -Government Organisations and Anti- Human Trafficking Units. Data on number of girls rescued
is not centrally maintained. 76 Rehabilitation Homes which can accommodate upto 3800 beneficiaries
have been sanctioned under the ‘Ujjawala’ Scheme in the country. This includes 12 Rehabilitation Homes
in the North Eastern States of Assam, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland taken together. (PIB. Govt. of
India 18/8/11)
Supreme Court order on sexual harassment should apply to armed forces: Panel (8)
New Delhi: A Parliamentary panel on Wednesday said that swift punishment should be given to those
armed personnel who indulge in “anti-social behaviour” against women. The Committee on Empowerment
of Women in its report on ‘Women in armed forces’ said the government must review the judicial system
of the Services to include “outside organisations” to look into cases of sexual harassment there. “It is a
matter of concern that an increasing number of cases are being reported of anti-social
behaviour against women by armed forces personnel,” the Committee headed by Congress’s Chandresh
Kumari said in its report tabled on Wednesday. “We feel strongly about this as it is highly unacceptable
that a few delinquents should be allowed to besmirch the reputation of the armed forces,” the panel said.
The committee opined that the Supreme Court judgment on sexual harassment at workplace was overriding and covered all organisations, including the armed forces.(Financial Express 18/8/11)
Govt wants 3-digit number to save girls (8)
Unhappy over the dwindling number of complaints being received for the ‘save the girl child’ campaign,
the state Family Welfare Department has written to the Centre, asking for a three-digit toll-free helpline
number. The current number allotted for complaints (1800-233-4475) has received only 329 calls, of
which 37 were genuine. Additional Director of Family Welfare Dr Suresh Gupta, said, “Given the figures of
illegal sex determination tests that are being conducted across the state, the number of complaints is far
too low. The current helpline number is too long for the people to remember, and we will get a better
response if the number is shortened.” The helpline was launched with the website
www.amchimulgi.gov.in on July 11, for complaints about crimes against girl children, with the hope of
curbing female foeticide. Since then out of the 329 called received by the Pre Conception and Pre Natal
Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) cell, at the family welfare department in Pune, only 39 were genuine.
The rest were wrong numbers, and even prank calls. According to Dr Vikas Kharge of the PCPNDT cell,
several other plans are in the pipeline. “We are trying to put an end to female foeticide.The campaign has
just started. We will see the results gradually,” he said. (Mumbai Mirror 19/8/11)
40% married women face physical, sexual violence: Government (8)
New Delhi | Agency: PTI: Over 35 percent of all women and 40 percent of married women experienced
physical or sexual forms of violence and the figures were higher in rural areas, the Lok Sabha was
informed today. "The National Family Health Survey III (2005-06) data shows that in the 15-49 age group,
35.4 per cent of all women and 40 per cent of married women experienced physical or sexual violence,"
Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said during Question Hour. She said 6.7 percent
experienced both physical and sexual forms of domestic violence. Tirath said the data suggests that both
physical and sexual forms of domestic violence against women are higher in rural areas as compared to
the urban areas. Domestic violence defined under Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act,
2005 covers physical, sexual, verbal, emotional and economic abuse. As per the National Crime Records
Bureau (NCRB) data, a total of 5,788 were registered under the Act in 2007, 5,643 cases in 2008 and
7,802 in 2009, Tirath said. She claimed that Protection Officers (POs) had been appointed in every state
except Jammu and Kashmir (where the Act is not applicable) and her ministry held regular meetings with
state governments to ensure that this system was functioning efficiently. The Domestic Violence Act,
2005 is implemented by states and Union territories. "Under the Act, state governments are required to
appoint Protection Officers in each district as they may consider necessary," she said. Maharashtra has
the highest number of 3,910 Protection Officers followed by Rajasthan (574), Madhya Pradesh (368) and
Himachal Pradesh (366). (DNA 19/8/11)
Fighting female foeticide via website (8)
JAIPUR: The department of medical, health and family welfare has launched a website to fight female
foeticide, where whistleblowers can report about sex selection activities while keeping their identity safe.
Principal health secretary B N Sharma spoke about the website in a meeting with the zila pramukhs of the
state in Jaipur on Friday. Sharma said, "Anyone can complain against doctors and sonography centres
indulging in sex selection activities. It is not necessary to disclose ones identity. As soon as the complain
is registered online, action will be taken against the doctor or the sonography centre." The state
government is worried about the decline in the number of girl children in 0-6 year category against boys.
The department has expressed its concern over the rate of conviction in courts and has filed 199 cases
against doctors and sonography centres. But only one doctor's licence has been suspended. When Sikar
zilla pramukh demanded a strict law to stop female foeticide, an official of the department said they have
pre-conception and pre-natal diagnostic techniques (prohibition of sex selection Act, 1994). It is a
powerful Act. (Times of India 20/8/11)
Elderly woman gets 7 yrs jail for dowry death (8)
NEW DELHI: A 68-year-old woman has been jailed for seven years by a Delhi court for killing her
daughter-in-law for dowry in collusion with her two sons, who too were awarded the same prison term.
While convicting the trio, including the victim's husband Raj Kumar for offences under sections 304 B
(dowry death) and 498 A (subjecting woman to cruelty for dowry) of the IPC, the court said Anita was
found hanging from the ceiling fan in her bedroom at her matrimonial home within three years of
marriage. Additional Sessions Judge Virender Kumar Goyal noted that while she was found hanging in
the room which was open from inside, the postmortem report had attributed her death to suffocation.
(Times of India 21/8/11)
Uttar Pradesh: Cops rape 7 women (8)
Noida, Aug 22: Seven women were raped by cops in the villages of Bhatta-Parsaul during an encounter
between the police and farmers who were campaigning against the land acquisition in May 2011, said a
study by National Commission for Scheduled Caste. “Seven affidavits have been filed by women in the
villages of Bhatta and Parsaul in which the victims have complained of being raped by policemen," said
PL Punia, NCSC chairman. "After filing the affidavits with the investigating team, the women had
appeared before the commission and corroborated the events," said Punia. The probe was conducted by
NCSC official Latha Priyakumar. (One India 22/8/11)
Sex workers rehabilitated as cops (8)
NEW DELHI: One of the incredible stories to emerge from the Supreme Court's national initiative to
rehabilitate sex workers is the transformation of two sex workers into police constables. The story of the
two sex workers qualifying to become constables with proper training and exposure was narrated to the
Supreme Court's panel headed by senior advocate Pradip Ghosh by Andhra Pradesh government's
representative. The state provided interesting statistics -- 3,498 sex workers were rescued and 2,280
given vocational training of which 700 were placed in different jobs. Though almost 60% of the rescued
sex workers were infected with HIV, it did not deter 1,046 from getting self-employed and 321 more
engaged in marketing facilities, it said. However, the failure of earlier rehabilitation schemes was summed
up by Maharashtra. "Pimps have a very strong nexus and get to know about the sex workers and their
movements after having been rescued before their identities can be protected and get hold of the women
again, thus posing a threat to their safety as well as the process of rehabilitation," it said. NGO Prajwala,
through advocate Aparna Bhat, told the panel that it had sensitized different industries, as a result of
which many women were employed and were working with firms like Tata and Amul. Karnataka
government said its earlier effort to rehabilitate 22,000 sex workers through Devdasi Rehabilitation
Programme had failed and most had returned to the trade. But the rehabilitation measures saw 120 of the
750 women trained as beauticians stick to the new profession. Tamil Nadu too presented statistics
relating to sex workers which would make a bench of Justices Markandey Katju and Gyan Sudha Misra
feel justified about their new initiative to give them a chance to leave prostitution and get back to the
mainstream. The state said it had rescued 3,800 sex workers in 2010-11 and 70% of them expressed
willingness to be rehabilitated. But alarmingly, it said, "Most of the girls are not only HIV positive but are
also drug addicts because of which they have several personal disorders." West Bengal government told
the SC panel, "Approximately, 1,000 sex workers have already been rehabilitated in the state. These sex
workers have settled in their new jobs and lives and are not likely to turn back." (Times of India 23/8/11)
Pregnant woman made to run around for dowry FIR (8)
Mumbai: Harassed, abandoned by in-laws, a nine-month pregnant woman did the rounds of Mahim police
station for 19 days before an NGO came to her rescue It took 19 days for the Mahim police officials to file
an FIR of dowry harassment of a nine-month pregnant woman, Varsha Bhagtani (name changed), who
had been abandoned and physically abused by her husband and in-laws. Her days of trauma would have
still continued if an NGO had not come to her rescue. Varsha Bhagtani (name changed), who had been
abandoned and physically abused by her husband and in-laws Varsha, a resident of Chembur, was
married to businessman Kunal Bhagtani in December last year. When Kunal learnt of her pregnancy he
wanted her to abort the child, so that she could work to pay for his loans and give money to buy a flat.
When she refused, Kunal along with his family allegedly began abusing and torturing her for dowry. After
making several rounds of the police station from July 30, the police finally registered the case on August
19, after the NGO Stree Chetna intervened in the matter. Recollecting her trauma, Varsha said, "My inlaws wanted me to abort the child so that I could work and give money to my husband. I was depressed
after my in-laws abandoned me. Even though they coerced me to abort my child, I refused to do so, as
doctors had warned me of complications." Varsha, in the FIR, said that her husband Kunal abused and
mentally tortured her to bring money from her parents. She also added that her in-laws wanted her to
bring money to buy a flat, as they did not want the couple to stay with them. The family reportedly did not
want to bear the expenses of her delivery and hence threw her out of the house on July 30.Social worker
with the NGO, Gulab Kanulkar said, "The poor girl went to the Mahim police station every day. When she
approached us, we intervened and forced the police to register the case." Thanking the NGO, Varsha
said, "I am grateful to the organisation without whom I would not be able to penalise my husband and his
parents." The police arrested Kunal and his family who were produced in court and granted bail on
Monday. They have registered a case against the family under Section 498A (cruelty), 406 (criminal
breach of trust) and Section 34 (common intention). Ramrao Desai, senior inspector of Mahim police
station said that it was a minor case and he did not have too many details about the case, but confirmed
that a case has been registered against Kunal Bhagtani and his parents. (Mid Day 24/8/11)
Notice to home secretary in sexual abuse case (8)
MADURAI: Taking exception to the non-filing of a counter affidavit by the state home secretary, as to
whether a state-level commission equivalent to the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act 2006,
has been constituted, the Madurai bench of the Madras high court has directed him to file the affidavit by
September 7. Justice R Sudhakar gave the direction to the home secretary while hearing a petition to
decide the issue of whether the investigation in the alleged sexual assault of a girl by a school
headmaster, be handed over to some other agency from the police. On July 27, the judge, after hearing a
matter pertaining to the headmaster, who allegedly committed sexual abuse on girl children, directed the
home secretary to file a report by August 12, as to whether the commission has been constituted.
However, when the matter came up for hearing on Wednesday, the judge found that the official had not
filed the counter affidavit. In a petition, the father of the girl submitted that on July 12, his daughter came
back from school disturbed and depressed. Upon repeated enquiries by his wife and the neighbouring
women, she confided in them that Arockiasamy, the headmaster of the school, had misbehaved with her.
On further enquiries with some of her schoolmates, the children shocked everyone saying that
Arockiasamy had been subjecting them to physical abuse for the past two years. He also contended in
the petition that a girl who was studying in class 8 shared painfully that when she approached the
headmaster for school admission in 2010 along with her grandmother who is visually challenged, he
misbehaved with her taking advantage of the situation. When the girl tried to resist, he threatened her that
he would not give her admission, he added. Following protests by the parents, Arockiasamy was
suspended, but not arrested. Hence, the petitioner preferred the present petition seeking to transfer of the
investigation, as the police has not arrested him. (Times of India 25/8/11)
Prevention of Inhuman Treatment of Women (8)
Only one incident of Sati has been registered in Chhattisgarh in 2008. As for the other crimes against
women, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) has recorded 185312, 195856 and 203804 cases in
the country in 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively. This was revealed by the Minister of State (I/C) of
Women and Child Development Smt. Krishna Tirath in Rajya Sabha today. There is no proposal to
amend the existing law on Sati nor is there any proposal to bring about a separate law to prevent the
crimes against women. Except for the provisions relating to Rape and Molestation, the existing provisions
in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) with regard to Kidnapping & Abduction (Sec. 363-373), Dowry Death
(Sec.304-B) and Cruelty to married women (Sec.498A), which deal with the major offences committed
against women, are adequate. Smt. Krishna Tirath said that besides IPC, there are specific laws in
existence for tackling offences such as trafficking, dowry, indecent representation, sati and domestic
violence against women. They are Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956; Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961;
Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986; Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987
and Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005. In addition, the Government has introduced
a Bill in 2010 in Parliament to protect the women against sexual harassment at work place. ‘The
Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010’ is a comprehensive Bill which
will replace the existing guidelines on sexual harassment issued by the Supreme Court in Vishaka and
others V. State of Rajasthan and others. (PIB, Govt. of India 25/8/11)
Create awareness on guidelines to prevent sexual harassment: HCof women (8)
CHENNAI: Reinforcing the Supreme Court guidelines on the need to create a mechanism for women to
lodge complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace, the Madras high court has directed the Tamil
Nadu State Legal Services Authority (TNSLSA) to create awareness on the issue. The first bench,
comprising Chief Justice M Y Eqbal and Justice T S Sivagnanam, passed a common order on petitions
filed by R Karthikeyan and S K Valli, a woman police constable. Both pleas sought for authorities to
implement the guidelines laid down in the Visaka case in police stations across the state. This includes
steps such as creating a protective atmosphere for women to air grievances about sexual harassment
and constituting a complaints' committee in each thana, sub-divisional, district, range and chief police
office in the state. The first bench directed the member-secretary, TNSLSA, to ensure that appropriate
legal awareness camps are organised throughout the state to educate society about sexual harassment
and how it could dent an individual's psyche. The topics to be covered in such camps could include
matters such as what constitutes sexual harassment, what the rights of an affected individual are, what
modes of redress are available to victims and so on. The court also noted that employers - both in the
public sector as well as the private sector - should be sensitized to the role they have in preventing sexual
harassment at the workplace and the preventive steps needed to curb it. The employers had to put in
place an appropriate complaint mechanism where the victims could not only make complaints but also
see the result of their complaints, the order said. (Times of India 27/8/11)
Brinda raps cops for delay in arrest (8)
MADURAI: We want Right To Education (RTE), not Right to Sexual Abuse, said Brinda Karat, CPI(M)
politburo member, at Podhumbu village, near here on Saturday. She was in the village to console the
victims of sexual abuse perpetrated by the headmaster of a government school, who was still at large.
Expressing the support of her party, Brinda Karat said “All children in the country have the right to
education. Because of the misbehaviour of some school heads, the children are traumatised and unable
to continue their education.” Flaying the police for their lethargy in arresting the accused, she said, “if one
head escapes, it would only set a wrong notion”. Consoling the victims, she said that it was not a stigma
on the village, but a stigma on the headmaster. “We will not spare the police who have foisted false cases
against the family members of the victims and we will ensure that they are punished,” she charged. The
victims also aired the problems they face from the police and anti-social elements since the complaint
was lodged against the school head Arockiasamy. Recently, a complaint of woman harassment was
lodged by the school helper against the family member of one of the victims. In the guise of questioning,
the villagers said that a male police official had come to the victim’s home in the wee hours of Thursday
night. All the five girls, who lodged the complaint, were frequently intercepted by the police at school and
were being intimidated. Hearing this Brinda Karat, immediately questioned the Koodal Nagar Inspector,
who was present at the spot and he feigned ignorance. Irked by this, Brinda Karat rang up Additional
Superintendent of Police Mylvaganan and asked him to send some senior official to the spot. At that time,
All India Democratic Women Association (AIDWA) All India Secretary U Vasuki mentioned that they had
met Collector U Sagayam who had opined that the headmaster required psychiatric treatment. “He said
this when we insisted the arrest of the accused”, she added. Later, DSPs Ravichandran and Pandi visited
the village and held talks with Brinda Karat. Ravichandran assured that action would be taken against the
erring police officials and added that Inspector Maria Glory would be removed from the case as she had
also traumatised the victims. Later, Brinda Karat asked both the DSPs why they could not arrest the
accused. “You come to the village at 11 pm to investigate a foisted case, but you won’t arrest the accused
staying under your nose”, she pointed out. Ravichandran assured that the accused will be arrested and
announced that if at all the children were to be interrogated, it will be done with prior notice. Reacting to
this, Brinda Karat said that there was no need for investigations here as the Child Welfare Committee
report had been issued reaffirming the allegations levelled against the accused. (NIE 28/8/11)
Man kept two daughters as sex slaves for 41 years (8)
Vienna : An elderly man has been arrested on suspicion of raping his wife and two daughters for 40 years
while keeping them prisoner in their home. In a case with chilling echoes of the crimes of Josef Fritzl,
Gottfried W is said to have started his assaults in 1970 when one of his daughters was 12 and the other
four. His wife Berta died in 2008, but the alleged beatings, rape and torture of his daughters, aged 53,
and 45, went on until May this year when the elder of the two decided to fight back despite being warned
that they would be killed if they resisted. She has told police she struck her 80-year-old father while he
was trying to rape her and he fell so heavily that he was injured and couldn’t get up. For two days they
ignored his pleas for help, but eventually called the local authority who sent a social worker to the house.
Police say they lived in fear, were treated as slaves and forced to sleep on a large wooden shelf in the
kitchen to which they were confined even though the rambling property had many rooms. He beat them
with sticks and thrust at them with a pitchfork when they displeased him. Police said he forbade them
virtually all social contact with the outside world and routinely threatened to kill them if they tried to
escape. The man has denied the accusations. But the case is yet another embarrassment for Austria and
its seeming inability to detect terrible abuse. (Mumbai Mirror 28/8/11)
NCP moots 10-point programme to empower women in rural areas (8)
Pune: It was raining announcements at the conclusion of the four-day padyatra (foot march) by MP from
Baramati, Supriya Sule, for creating awareness on female foeticide. The state ministers of health,
education and rural development resolved to renew efforts to improve the sex ratio in the state. The
padyatra was held to kick off a 5-year campaign, ‘Jaagar Janivancha, Tumchya Maza Lekincha’,
organised by Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan, Mumbai. It started in Naigaon, Satara district, on August
25 and concluded in Pune on Sunday. Sule is convenor of the Pratishthan and led the padyatra.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, minister of state for health Fouziya Khan, state minister
for rural development Jayant Patil, and state minister for higher education Rajesh Tope were present.
Patil said a 10-point programme would be given to villages to implement in order to empower rural
women. It would be mandatory to include the name of women from the family as owners of property along
with the men, he added. “Villages that implement the 10-point programme for women empowerment will
be awarded. Measures will also be taken to control girl dropouts in villages through gram sabhas. Also a
meeting of women will be held, and gram sabhas will have to pass the decisions made by women,” said
Patil. Tope said the government was concentrating on promoting eve-teasing-free educational campuses
and also looking at other issues relating to girl students so that they feel safe on campus. Khan stated
that the government had taken the declining sex ratio very seriously and sting operations had been
conducted across the state to control it. She said the health department would continue with its strict
measures and the results of combined efforts of the government and social initiatives like Sule’s
campaign would give results soon. Pawar expressed concern that the women’s population has decreased
in educated areas rather than districts where rate of literacy is not very good. He recalled that he had
made efforts to bring more women in the armed forces, when the popular view was against it. He urged
the participants of the padyatra, who had come from all over the state, to create awareness. He said the
next padyatra should be in Marathwada and Vidarbha.(DNA 29/8/11)
Woman alleges murder attempt by husband for dowry (8)
SIVAGANGA: A 35-year-old woman doused with kerosene rushed into a police station at Sivaganga,
alleging that her husband and in-laws were attempting to murder her by setting her ablaze, as she was
not able to satisfy their demand for dowry. The woman complained that she had given 80 sovereigns of
gold as dowry soon after the marriage, but her husband demanded 50 more sovereigns. The police have
arrested her husband and are on the lookout for the in-laws. Police said that the victim Sudha (35) of
Kandadevi village was married to Somasundaram (37) alias Subbiah of Devakottai in Sivaganga district
six years ago. While Sudha worked as a teacher in a private school, Somasundram who previously had
lived abroad, was now managing a matriculation school his father Subramanian (65) owned. (Times of
India 30/8/11)
Nashik: 14-year-old raped, set on fire (8)
NEW DELHI: In a shocking incident of rape from Nashik, three minor boys have been arrested for raping
a 14-year-old girl and later setting her on fire. The three teenagers raped the girl at her residence before
setting her on fire. The victim is now fighting for her life with 97 per cent burns. Police say the accused
forcefully entered her house, when her parents were away and raped her. Reports say that the girl's
family has alleged that she was earlier raped by the same boys about three months back. However,
police are yet to confirm that. The accused have been booked under section 307 (attempt to murder) and
section 376 (rape) of the IPC. The names of the victim as well as the accused have been withheld by the
police. Meanwhile, a juvenile court has remanded the trio to a remand home. (NIE 1/9/11)
Afraid of being harassed, girl in self-confinement (8)
AMBALA: Afraid of being harassed by a boy, a girl of Binjalpur village in the district has confined herself
to her room for the past one week. As the decision taken by the panchayat failed to act as deterrent for
the errant boy, who belongs to the same village, the girl's family on Thursday lodged a formal police
complaint. Ambala SP Shashank Anand has ordered the area DSP to probe the incident after registering
a case against the accused. In their complaint, the parents of the aggrieved girl have stated that Pardeep,
who studied in a college in Ambala, used to harass their daughter. "He would pass comments and
purposely board the same bus our daughter used to travel in. After she told us about the harassment, we
brought the matter to the notice of the village panchayat. Pardeep was summoned and he tendered an
apology But after a few days he again started teasing our daughter and even forced her to exchange the
telephone numbers threatening her with dire consequences,'' they said. "Initially she did not tell us and
remained confined in her room. It was only after persuasion, she shared the problem with her mother,"
the father added. Meanwhile, DSP Kushal Pal Rana said the investigations had begun after a case of
criminal intimidation and outraging the modesty of a woman was registered against Pardeep. "Our priority
is to restore the girl's confidence so that she resumes her college routine. We will take action against
Pardeep once the investigations are complete,'' the DSP said. (Times of India 2/9/11)
Violence towards women cause for increase in female foeticide, says study (8)
NEW DELHI: The increasing violence towards women in public spaces has contributed to an increase in
female foeticide as many would-be parents fear security of a girl child, says a recently concluded study in
Haryana by the Centre for Social Research. "We spoke to many affluent young couples who said that it
would be much easier for them to leave a boy alone at home as compared to a girl," said Dr Ranjana
Kumari from CSR, who was on the research team of the study. "In villages, too, they believe that though
dowry is a one-time payment, the burden of 'maintaining chastity' is immense," said Kumari. The study
took place in Kurukshetra and Ambala, districts where sex ratio is below 800 girls per 1000 boys, from
May 2009 till April this year, following a similar study in Delhi. During the course of the study, it was found
that apart from violence in public spaces, a woman who had only daughters was also more likely to be the
target of domestic violence. (Times of India 3/9/11)
Kerala sex scandal case: Court seeks case diary (8)
KOCHI: The Kerala High Court Monday asked the state police to submit the case diary in the
investigation into the two-decade-old Kozhikode sex scandal case involving state minister P.K.
Kunhalikutty. The court served notices to the state government and the director general of police. It
ordered the police to produce the case diary on Sep 22. Leader of Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan had
Friday filed a petition in the high court, seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe in the case.
Achuthanandan's petition contended that only the CBI can come out with the truth based on several new
revelations made by Kunhalikutty's relative K.A. Rauf on how the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML)
leader managed to escape the law by allegedly influencing the judiciary. The case of sexual abuse of a
minor girl, which involves Kunhalikutty, now the state industry minister, was closed by the court in 2006.
In January, Achuthanandan, the then chief minister, ordered a fresh inquiry in the case. On Friday,
Supreme Court lawyer Ravindra Sachar, appearing for Achuthanandan, argued that it had been almost
seven months since the Marxist leader had ordered an inquiry, but the investigations had not reached
anywhere. The government counsel said that so far 81 witnesses have been examined in the case. (NIE
5/9/11)
12 minor girls rescued from Nerul hell hole (8)
Twelve girls were rescued from a Nerul shelter on Thursday. As in the case of the Kavdas and the Panvel
shelters, they seem to have been abused by the caretakers. Satish Pagi, 45, and his wife Anita Pagi, 40,
of the Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission have been charged with assault, unnatural sex and torture under
sections 323, 377, 354 of the IPC and section 23 of the Juvenile Justice Act. Both were arrested on
Friday and remanded in police custody till September 6. The girls’ plight came to light at around 3.30 am
on Thursday when PSI Mukund Salunke, from the Nerul Police Station, spotted the girls, all aged
between 4 and 12, roaming around the railway station. Senior inspector at the police station Rajkumar
Chaphekar said the girls told Salunke they were out on a picnic. Sensing trouble the officer brought them
to the police station. After a few hours’ rest and some food in their belly, the girls said they had run away
from the home to escape torture. Police raided the home and rescued four other minors, below the age of
5, and also nabbed the caretakers. Cops arrested Anita Pagi and Satish Pagi of the Pandita Ramabai
Mukti Mission Chaphekar said, “Three complained that they were often sexually abused by Satish. The
rest were beaten up by Satish and his wife often.” The girls said that at 7 am, five older girls would leave
for school. There were four who were too young to go to school and would sleep till 9 am. The remaining
three, though of age, were not sent to school. “Since his wife would also sleep till 9 am, Satish would go
into the girls’ room and sexually abuse the three older girls between 7 am and 9 am. He would take them
to the terrace or to his cabin and force them to have oral sex with him. The torture had been going on for
several months,” said Chaphekar. The girls said Anita would not believe their complaints and instead beat
them up. At least two girls have severe injuries on their bodies indicating torture. The girls have told the
cops that they were also made to do household chores. “If they didn’t do a good job they’d be beaten up.
They were also never given enough food,” added the senior inspector. Investigations reveal that the girls
are orphans and were transferred to Nerul from the mission’s Pune ashram a couple of years ago. The
Nerul home, which is not recognised, has been running for 12 years now. Harish Rathod, Deputy
Commissioner of the state’s Department of Women and Child Development said, “Since the home was
not recognised we never knew of the plight of inmates there. We urge citizens to inform us or their nearest
police station about any such home functioning in their area.” The girls have been sent to another shelter
for now. Meanwhile, the apex committee appointed by the Bombay HC has decided to club the Nerul
case with the Kavdas and Panvel cases. Dr Harish Shetty a member of the committee said, “The CM
should immediately create a structure to inspect every home where the inmates are children. The WCD
needs to be overhauled to face the crisis.” (Mumbai Mirror 5/9/11)
Female foeticide: Anganwadi workers to turn whisleblowers (8)
Mumbai | Agency: DNA: The state government plans to rope in more than 4,000 anganwadi workers
across Maharashtra to play the role of whistleblowers against families and doctors misusing sonography
machines to identify and abort female foetuses. The shameful drop in girl child ratio to 880 per 1,000
males has propelled the state to initiate new measures to tackle the social menace. The misuse of
sonography machines in the backward regions of Nandurbar, Chandrapur, Akola, Gondia and Buldhana
has posed a new challenge to the administration. The decision to discreetly engage anganwadi workers
as monitoring agents is the brainchild of Varsha Gaikwad, minister for women and child welfare. Gaikwad
said, “An unassuming, low-profile anganwadi worker is the best bet. Through their close conventional
networking, they can elicit all details about developments in a family. They can also alert the
administration about the misuse of sonography.” The minister admitted that sonography machines are
often perceived as a boon among weaker sections of society who opt for a male child without fear of the
law. Former health minister Vimal Mundada took concrete steps to check the misuse of machines.
Medical practitioners often take advantage of loopholes in the legal system to manipulate it to their
advantage. Not one to give up the fight against the skewed sex ratio, Gaikwad has travelled more than
2,000km criss-crossing parts of Marathwada, Vidarbha, western Maharashtra and Thane regions. She
said, “It is a phenomenon that has broken economic and social barriers.” (DNA 5/9/11)
Devil of dowry alive and kicking in Pune (8)
Pune : In separate incidents, three women committed suicide in Pune. While two of them ended their lives
following dowry harassment suffered from their in-laws, one took the extreme step following harassment
as she was unable to conceive. Madhuri Mohansingh Pardeshi, 36, committed suicide by hanging herself
at her husband’s residence in Hadapsar on Saturday. She was being rebuked by her in-laws and
husband for being barren. She was married 11 years ago. Her brother, Jayram Pardeshi, 37, lodged an
FIR with the Hadapsar police station against the victim’s husband, Mohansingh, 39, her brother-in-law
Sohan, 37, and father-in-law Pratapsingh, 76. The trio was arrested by the police. Sandhya Shinde, 25, of
Pimpri slum area allegedly committed suicide by setting herself on fire on August 28 following physical
and mental harassment by husband Navnath, 28, his mother Ranjana and brother Shivaji, 24, for dowry.
She was married in July last year. The victim was admitted to Surya Hospital, where she succumbed to
her burns after two days. The deceased’s mother, Surekha Mandare, 48, of Indapur, lodged an FIR with
the Pimpri police station against the trio. No arrests have been made yet. Another married woman,
Jayshree Anup, allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her husband’s residence in
Sainathnagar, Wadgaonsheri, on Friday night following dowry harassment. (DNA 6/9/11)
Young scientist alleges dowry harassment (8)
VISAKHAPATNAM, September 10, 2011: A young scientist is being harassed allegedly by her husband
for additional dowry. P. Anita, 29, of Akkayyapalem is a scientist in the Indian Council of Agriculture
Research, New Delhi. Her parents performed her marriage with Sailesh of Vuyyuru in Krishna district in
October last. Sailesh allegedly gave them wrong information claiming that he was a scientist. He was
given Rs.10 lakh as dowry and an additional Rs.20 lakh in the form of gold and other valuables. Anita
found out after the wedding that Sailesh had done his MBA and was employed in a private company as a
trainee manager in Hyderabad. She initially pulled him up but later reconciled. Sailesh allegedly started
harassing Anita for additional dowry soon after. Anita returned to the city and met DCP B. Balakrishna
who directed her to lodge a complaint with the Fourth Town police. In her complaint, Anita alleged that
her parents-in-law and sisters-in-law too were harassing her. (The Hindustan Times 10/9/11)
Women slightly behind men in Lok Sabha (8)
New Delhi, Sep 11 : Even as parliament awaits a conclusion to the Women's Reservation bill, data shows
that female MPs are slightly behind their male counterparts in terms of performance in the Lok Sabha.
According to the figures made available by parliament research think-tank PRS Legislative Research,
women MPs on an average participated in 11 debates in the two years of the current Lok Sabha and men
in 16. Overall, a house member participated in 15.6 debates. The average number of questions asked by
each woman MP was 84, as against 122 asked by each male MP, while the average was 119. The
private member bills presented by a woman on an average came out to be less than one, at 0.2, as
against the average of 0.4. Their attendance was, however, better than men. It was 79 percent for
women, compared to 77 percent for men. The overall average was 77 percent. In the just-concluded
monsoon session, however, women performed at par with men. Average participation in debates was 2.9
for women. On average, each woman MP asked 22 questions and had 82 percent attendance, compared
to the average of 25 questions and 80 percent attendance by MPs, irrespective of the gender. (New
Kerala 11/9/11)
Battered and bruised -- 47 cases of domestic violence in July (8)
BANGALORE: The domestic violence that Darshan allegedly subjected his wife Vijayalakshmi to has hit
the headlines all because the perpetrator is a famous film actor. But several other cases in the city just
don't make it into the public domain. Vanitha Sahaya Vani, the government-run helpline that offers free
counselling and legal help for distressed women, receives about 20-30 calls every day from women
stating they're victims of abuse. In July, it dealt with 107 cases related to marital crisis and 46 were of
domestic violence. Helpline counsellor Saraswathi B S told TOI: "Every day, women come to us with
bruises on their hands and eyes or legs swollen after being beating by their husbands. They come when
the situation becomes unbearable. Most of them we counsel here try to save their families." Saraswathi
recalls how she had to ensure safe shelter for Jayalakshmi who didn't want to go back home. She had to
endure threats from her policeman husband. "She went for a movie with neighbours. Her husband got
suspicious and started ill-treating her and beating her up, thinking she'd gone with a boyfriend. We took
her for treatment to Bowring Hospital and Ashok Nagar police refused to take her complaint and lodge an
FIR saying it was a personal issue between the couple. We've put her in an ashram and she's free from
trouble," says Saraswathi. In another case, Stella D'Souza,45, successfully battled breast cancer but had
endure domestic violence at home. As part of the treatment, her breasts were removed. Her husband
found her unattractive and got involved in an extramarital affair. "The well-educated husband had no
concern for the wife. He even beat her up when she questioned him about the affair. She turned to us for
help," Saraswathi said. Another counsellor Rani Shetty says there is a breakdown of relationships among
young people, including techies, and common causes are incompatibility, ego issues and extramarital
affairs. "Most belong to the 25-35 years age group. We receive complaints of domestic violence attributed
to extramarital affairs. We counsel them to save their families and suggest they change profession or look
for jobs in other companies," says Shetty. She has been married for the past year but hardly spoken to
her husband since the wedding. The couple hasn't had any kind of relationship despite living in the same
house for over six months. If she asks any questions, she's beaten up. This is the story of Mangala, who
has sought help from the Vanitha Sahaya Vani. This graduate says she wants a divorce from her PUCpass husband. "He doesn't speak to me at all and doesn't let me work. He only wants the jewellery given
to me during the marriage. He has a girl friend and I'm a namesake wife. Is this not domestic violence?"
asks Mangala, who this reporter met at the helpline on Monday. (Times of India 13/9/11)
All-women police stations (8)
Calcutta, Sept. 14: The government has decided to set up 65 all-women police stations as part of its
efforts to check crimes against women. Initially, 550 personnel will be recruited, it was decided at today’s
cabinet meeting. The government will set up 10 police stations in the first phase in places such as
Howrah, Asansol, Jhargram, Krishnagar, Jalpaiguri, Barasat, Baruipur and Contai. A plan to set up the allwomen police stations was mooted by the home department days after the Mamata Banerjee government
came to power. The proposal was sanctioned at today’s cabinet meeting. “We decided to set up such
police stations to deal with the increasing instances of crime against women in the state and also to
encourage them to join the police force,” a minister said. “These police stations will deal with atrocities on
women, such as rape, gang-rape, murder after rape, molestation and eve-teasing,” he added. According
to the state crime records bureau, 27,390 cases of crime against women were registered in Bengal in
2010. Bureau records mention 2,160 cases of rape, 128 of gang-rape, 20 of murder after rape, 1,319 of
attempt to rape, 1,405 of molestation and 47 of eve-teasing. “We hope that crimes against women can be
checked once these police stations are set up. Now, many women feel uncomfortable to lodge complaints
of atrocities against them because police stations hardly have any lady officers,” the minister said. He
said every all-women police station would be headed by an inspector and would have eight subinspectors, eight assistant sub-inspectors and 30 constables. “Tamil Nadu has an all-women police
station in each of its 126 sub-divisions. We hope to emulate this,” the minister said. At today’s cabinet
meeting, it was also decided that 350 medical staff, including 100 retired doctors, would be recruited in 13
sub-divisional hospitals across the state. Blood banks will also be set up in these hospitals. (Telegraph
15/9/11)
MSHRC undertakes study on women, street children (8)
PUNE: Most of the street children covered in a sample survey done by the Maharashtra State Human
Rights Commission (MSHRC) in Mumbai were found to be suffering from skin diseases and were
addicted to substance abuse. The commission has also undertaken another research project on the
sexual harassment of women at workplaces. Government offices in Yavatmal in Vidarbha, Nanded in
Marathwada and Mumbai were visited to see whether or not the employees were adhering to guidelines
laid down by the Supreme Court in 1997, in the Vishaka Vs State of Rajasthan case regarding sexual
harassment of working women. The findings and the statistics of both the studies will only come out in
October. According to the judgement, an appropriate compliant mechanism should be created in every
organisation for redress of the complaints made by the victim. Jayashri Patil, research officer at MSHRC,
said, "The survey aims to have the guidelines implemented where they are not followed. It is to check if
the complaint mechanism is in place and that each establishment has a Women's Cells and an Inquiry
Committee to inquire into complaints of sexual harassment." (Times of India 15/9/11)
Girls undergo systematic rape and torture in brothels' (8)
KOLKATA: One doesn't expect socialites to spend a languid rainy afternoon listening to horror stories.
Especially when it's a diminutive 62-year-old narrating the tales. But when it is one Anuradha Koirala
doing the talk, the glamour quotient doesn't matter. The grit that fuels this character does. It jolts listeners
out of stupor and lands them in a stark world with sleaze and grime. A packed audience, mostly members
of the FICCI ladies organization, listened with rapt attention as the chairperson of Maiti Nepal (an NGO
that has rescued over 18,000 women from sexual slavery and exploitation) recounted stories that touch a
nadir in human depravation. Radhika, a 16-year-old from a well-to-do high caste Nepali family, fell in love
with a boy from a low caste and eloped to get married. But with the boy unable to find a job and the girl's
family unwilling to support them, the husband convinced her to sell one of her kidneys at Chennai for Rs
65,000. By then, they had already had a girl. After the money was spent, the husband sold her along with
the daughter to a brothel in Mumbai. There she was first gang raped and then forced into sex trade. Her
daughter's tongue was burned to prevent her from crying for her mother when she was entertaining
clients. They lived like this for six years till a client learnt about her tale and informed Maiti. "We managed
to rescue Radhika and her daughter. There are many instances when tip-offs from clients have led to
rescue of Nepali girls forced into prostitution. But for every such fairytale ending, there are hundreds of
cases in which a girl lives and dies a sex slave," said Koirala. Sarita, another Nepali girl trafficked to
Mumbai and working in a brothel, broke both her legs after jumping off the three-storied building when
she attempted to escape from forced oral sex. She survived. But for many girls, it is too late when
rescued. "Several of them are infected with AIDS. Others become drug addicts. All that Maiti can then
provide them is dignified death. At its hospice, there are 17-year-olds who look like 70, waiting for death
to deliver them from a short, yet horribly cruel life. While women rescued from India are usually infected
with diseases, those rescued from the Gulf are worse off with 57% psychotic cases from not just sexual
but physical and mental abuse as well. Depravation reaches new levels when girls are trafficked to the
Gulf. They are like zombies when rescued," she said. While most girls trafficked from Nepal land up in
brothels in Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Surat, Delhi, Bangalore, Siliguri, Gorakhpur and Meerut, girls
are increasingly being re-routed to the Gulf, China and South-East Asia as well. "While traffickers in India
prefer girls with mongoloid features as prevalent in people from lower castes in Nepal, those in China
prefer girls from high caste who have prominent nose and high cheek bone," Maiti Nepal director Bishwo
Ram Khadka said. Of the 600,000-800,000 people trafficked every year globally, 70% are women and
children. Of this, 150,000 cases are in South Asia with Nepal accounting for a lion's share. Maiti estimates
there are 150,000-400,000 Nepali girls and women in Indian brothels. A big chunk of them are aged 7-24
years. "The girls undergo systematic rape and torture. They are starved and scalded by smoldering
cigarettes and sometimes even murdered. Those who are young are given hormone injections so that
they appear big and then gang raped as an initiation into the trade. Thereafter, they are made to entertain
5-50 clients a day," said Koirala. While extreme poverty in west Nepal is considered the primary reason
for Nepali girls being trafficked in large numbers, Koirala says gender discrimination is the root cause,
citing social practices like Chaupadi, Deuki and Badi where girls are driven into flesh trade by families.
Koirala took up the cause of rescuing and rehabilitating women in 1993 after suffering domestic violence.
"At the time, everyone in Nepal was speaking about trafficking but no one was doing anything. So I took a
plunge and have been swimming against the tide since," said Koirala, who was awarded CNN Hero of the
Year 2010.(Times of India 16/9/11)
Rights panels urged to probe Bihar police assault on women (8)
PATNA: Bihar's main opposition party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, has urged the National Human Rights
Commission and the National Commission for Women to visit Noor Sarai in Nalanda district to investigate
a police baton charge on villagers. Opposition leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui said on Saturday that he was
writing to both commissions to probe the police assault in Nalanda, home district of Bihar chief minister
Nitish Kumar, in which several women were injured. "The National Human Rights Commission and the
National Commission for Women should send their teams to Noor Sarai for investigation into the highhandedness of the police and violation of human rights," Siddiqui said. (Times of India 17/9/11)
62% Nepali women feel domestic abuse is right! (8)
62% Nepali women feel domestic abuse is right! Kathmandu: If a wife burns the food or demurs to have
sex, her husband can beat her. And if she goes out without telling her mother-in-law or doesn't bring in
dowry, the mother-in-law can do the same. That is how a large chunk of women in Nepal's patriarchal
society feels, a sample survey has discovered. The Nepal Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2010,
covering 24 of Nepal's 75 districts, focused on the state of women and children in two regions most
vulnerable to disasters and the most underdeveloped: the midwest and the farwest. These are also the
districts that were the most affected by the 10-year Maoist insurgency and see thousands going to India
across the border every year due to food scarcity and natural disasters. Conducted by Nepal's Central
Bureau of Statistics and supported by Unicef, the survey covered almost 6,000 households, talking to
over 7,000 women about their family lives, health issues and children. The survey, conducted from
September to December 2010, found that 48 percent women, aged between 15-49 years, felt their
husbands had the right to beat them if they spoilt the food while cooking, refused to have sex, neglected
the children or argued. Also, a whopping 62 percent believed mothers-in-law were justified in beating
them if they failed to bring in dowry, went out of the house without telling them, didn't finish housework in
time or argued. Though Nepal's laws make it a punishable offence for a girl to marry before she is 18, the
survey found an overwhelming 60 percent had been married before the legal age of consent. Sixteen
percent got married while below 15. Though women dominated the population with the male-female ratio
being 100:92.9, the dreaded tradition of chhaupadi still prevailed, despite being banned by the
government. Chhaupadi is the custom of regarding menstruation as a period of impurity during which
women are not allowed to touch anything, including water, plants and their husbands. Though it is not
observed so rigidly in the capital and major cities, in the remote villages girls and women are confined to
cowsheds during menstruation. Both girl students and women teachers are barred from attending school.
The survey found the midwestern mountain region to be the worst affected -- 52 percent, while the
farwestern hilly region reported a 50 percent prevalence. "It is unacceptable," said Hanna Singer, Unicef
representative in Nepal, referring to the high prevalence of the chhaupadi system and the early
marriages. "The legal structure is protective of women but the implementation needs monitoring." Singer
linked the violence against women to the violence targeting young children. A whopping 83 percent of the
children interviewed said they had been disciplined either by severe psychological abuse or physical
punishment. "It creates a continuous cycle of violence against women (and also) subjects women to
longer cycles of child-bearing (that) has grave consequences for children's and women's health," Singer
said. (Zee News 18/9/11)
Domestic violence cases drag on for years, say lawyers (8)
CHENNAI: Intended to secure speedy justice for victims, the Prevention of Women from Domestic
Violence Act, 2005 mandates that cases should be disposed of within six months. However, lawyers at
the Madras high court say there are several instances when cases have dragged on for as long as two
years, primarily due to a lack of efficient supervision at different stages. V Kannadasan, former special
public prosecutor for the human rights court, is still fighting one such case on behalf of his client whose
husband, a software engineer earning close to Rs 70,000, left her without any means to look after herself
and their three-year-old daughter. "He filed his counter only this week though we lodged a complaint
against him in 2009. Our petition has not even been taken for an enquiry. The intention of the legislation
is to get speedy justice for women," he said. (Times of India 18/9/11)
Winds of change: girl adoption on the rise in India (8)
New Delhi, Sep 18 : There is a ray of sunshine in the dark gloom of female foeticide and communities still
discriminating against the girl child in many parts of India. According to the apex adoption agency in India,
the number of girl child adoptions in the country has been on a steady rise over the past few years. Anu J.
Singh, member secretary of the Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA), credits this happy trend to a
change in the mindset of people at large. "Whether it is because of social advertisements, movies or real
life incidents, the mindset is definitely changing," Singh told IANS. "People want to adopt a girl child." For
instance, 1,819 of 2,990 children adopted in 2008 -- both in-country and inter-country-were girls. In 2009,
1,436 of the 2,518 adopted were girls. The number did come down last year when 2,638 of 6,286 children
adopted were girls. But there are reasons behind it. "Adoption of a child of a particular sex also depends
on availability," Singh said. "So if a couple wants a girl child but we do not have one, they are left with the
choice of a boy." The difference in numbers between 2009 and 2010 also shows a big jump in adoptions
in general. "On the whole, I can say that the trend has definitely reversed and now people want a girl
child," Singh said in an interview with IANS. That the demand for a girl child is rising was also reiterated
by Amod Kanth, chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR). "There has
been an increasing number of queries on how to adopt a child, especially a girl child," Kanth told IANS.
"People are more interested in adopting a girl today and for me that is a very satisfying trend." Take the
example of Rishi Wadhwa and his wife, Gayatri. Married for eight years, the childless couple decided to
adopt a girl child four years back. "Gayatri wanted a baby girl and I was all for it, but when after eight
years we realised that she will not be able to conceive, we decided to adopt a baby girl; maybe it was
God's way of answering our prayers," Wadhwa said. "It was a long wait, but we were ready for it. Patience
is the key word. And all of it was worth the wait. Mysha is now four and she is an angel in our lives!" he
added. Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen set an example to many when she adopted a baby girl, Renee,
years ago. A single mother, she recently adopted another baby girl, Alisah. According to a report, about
600 children were adopted in one year from Delhi-based Palna-a home for abandoned, homeless and
destitute children-and about 65 percent of them were girls. "Adoptions come under the Hindu Adoption
and Maintenance Act of 1956. We have some restrictions, like we do not let live-in couples adopt because
the sense of a secure home and family is missing," Singh said. "Also we do not let a single male adopt a
girl child. People have their reservations against these rules, but we feel that a girl, when she is growing
up, needs to discuss a lot of things that she may not feel comfortable discussing with her father," she
added. (New Kerala 18/9/11)
More than 1.3 mn girls are not born in China, India every year (8)
New Delhi, September 19, 2011: China and India -- two of the fastest growing economies of the world -also share another dubious distinction. According to a new World Bank report, released on Monday, more
than 1.3 million girls are not born in China and India every year because of overt discrimination and
preference for the male child. Globally, the two emerging economies along with Sub-Saharan Africa
account for 87 % of the total 3.9 million 'missing' girls (killed before they are born) and excess female
mortality. While 'missing' girls at birth are concentrated in India and China, maternal mortality rates are
the highest in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2008, there were 640 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births - the
only region where the numbers are going up over time. In India, the report titled World Development
Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development says, the phenomenon of missing girls was initially
concentrated in the northern belt but gradually spread south, in China it spread inland from the eastern
coast. It attributes three main reasons for the increase in number of unborn girls in the late 20th century.
"First, fertility started dropping as female education and the returns to it in the labour force increased, in
China, the one-child policy reduced fertility. Second, ultrasound became widely available. Thirdly, the
preference for sons remained unchanged," the report states. Discrimination by parents towards girls in
countries like China, north India, Pakistan and Afghanistan has been the reason which caused excess
mortality among girls during infancy and early childhood. However, on the positive side, the report notes
that even in regions with the largest remaining gender gaps like South Asia, there have been
considerable gains in girl's education. "In the last decade, female enrollments have grown faster than
male enrollments in South Asia. In 2008, there were about 95 girls for every 100 boys in primary school in
the region," the report states. Gender equality, the report states, is not only crucial for development but is
smart economics as countries that provides opportunities and condition for women and girls can raise
productivity and advance development prospects for all. (Hindustan Times 19/9/11)
Dowry seekers to lose govt jobs in Rajasthan (8)
Jaipur, Sep 20, DHNS: Government employees better beware! Demanding dowry in Rajasthan will invite
double trouble. Apart from police action under various provisions of IPC, the accused’s job is also at
stake. Those who are aspiring for a government job in the state have to give an undertaking that he will
not demand any kind of dowry. An employee will lose his job if a case of dowry harassment has been
proved. The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) has incorporated the new provision for
recruitment to various government jobs in the state. Till now, the RPSC stipulated that those who had
more than one wife, more than two children after 2000, whose marriage was not registered and who were
barred from taking any examination by the commission were ineligible to hold government post in the
state. In the application for the recruitment to the various positions in the Archaeology Department
recently, the RPSC, for the first time, introduced this provision and the applicants were taken by surprise.
While filing an application, the applicant has to give an undertaking that he had not received any dowry
and nor will receive in future. If any complaints were received on dowry harassment, action could be
initiated against him based on the affidavit. Till now if complaints regarding dowry during marriage and
later were dealt with by the police under various sections of IPC. An official said, “Rajasthan is one of the
states where a large number of dowry harassment cases were reported during marriage and even after
marriage”.cision as a step in the right direction. (Deccan Herald 20/9/11)
Let lady ACP probe cop ‘harassment’: HC (8)
MUMBAI: The Bombay high court on Tuesday directed the State to find a lady assistant commissioner of
police to probe allegations of sexual harassment by a woman constable against a police officer of
Kapurbawdi police station, Thane. The officer is now promoted as deputy superintendent, Jalgaon in
Crime Investigation Department. A division bench of Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice P D Kode were
hearing a petition filed by the constable (name withheld) pointing out that despite written complaints to her
seniors against the then assistant police inspector M G Kale no First Information Report was lodged. Kale
was her immediate senior. HC then directed a committee to be set up on the lines of the Vishakha
judgement on harassment at work places. The committee submitted its report on August 12, 2011 stating
that there is prima facie substance in the complaint and also was of the opinion that FIR may be lodged
under section 507 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) and 509 (word, gesture or act
intending to insult the modesty of a woman ) of the Indian Penal Code. The court was also then informed
that on August 10, 2011 a FIR has been lodged. The constable's advocate Seema Chopda told the court
that since Kale has been promoted as Dy SP an officer of superior rank should conduct the probe and not
a lady police inspector. Additional Public Prosecutor Shilpa Gajare told the court that "there is no woman
DCP level officer in Thane and even the one ACP is scheduled to retire on September 30, 2011." The
judges have directed the State Home Department to find a woman ACP from other divisions, including
Mumbai, who can take over the probe or promote some woman officer in the Thane commissionerate
itself. The matter is adjourned to September 29, 2011. (Times of India 21/9/11)
NCW asks UP govt for action taken report on rape complaints by Bhatta-Parsaul women (8)
NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to the Uttar Pradesh
administration asking for a report on the action taken on complaints of rape made by women in BhattaParsaul. The Commission in its report on Bhatta-Parsaul found evidence that seven women were raped.
NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma said, "We have asked the UP chief secretary and the police to send us
an action taken report. We have not got a response yet but we will pursue this case." TOI had reported on
September 19 that NCW in its final report on Bhatta-Parsaul had found that seven women had been
raped. The victims had submitted affidavits to the National Commission for Scheduled Caste (NCSC)
alleging that they had been raped during police action in May this year. The report has been submitted to
the women and child development ministry. The victims also met the NCW chairperson and member
Charu WaliKhanna giving testimonials about the ordeal. Sharma said, "Hearings were conducted by the
Commission with all the victims. They said that they feared police action and were scared of speaking
about the incident in front of villagers when leaders visited them." (Times of India 21/9/11)
Education can change the lives of women (8)
ALLAHABAD: A seminar on 'Women and property rights in India' was held at the Centre for Women's
Studies, Hamidia Girls' Degree College on Thursday. Chief guest Divya Mishra, chairperson, UP State
Social Welfare Board, said only education can change the life of women. She told the students they will
realise the importance of education after passing out from the college. She urged the students to remain
about their rights. Mishra also told them about a workshop to be held by UP State Social Welfare Board,
Lucknow, on 'Girl foeticide and domestic violence'. Praising the Muslim girls for come out of their homes
for education, she said, "Opportunity comes to those who try for it".Guest of honour Justice Arun Tandon
of Allahabad High Court said, "After independence all laws and Acts have tried to bring women equal to
men which means earlier the laws were discriminatory. What is required is to recognise women equal to
men." He said education changes the ideas, it broadens the mind and changes the life, which in turn will
bring change in country. He also pointed out the quality of women as being compassionate and cited the
example of Mother Teresa. He highlighted the fact that without education no property no right is
meaningful. Prof LR Singh gave a detailed account of property rights of women in the Hindu and Muslim
Personal Law. He cited various references of Acts such as 172, 118, 122 related to property right,
constitutional right, intellectual property right, right to disperse of property, laws related to transfer of
property, exchange, contract of gift laws passed by UP Legislature, right to property as fundamental right.
He also gave references of various cases such as Suraj Kumar case, Shah Bano case. Earlier, principal
Rehana Tariq welcomed the guests. She highlighted the fact that students coming from the marginaliszed
community have risen to top on the basis of education. (Times of India 23/9/11)
Sex pest IPS is fined Rs 50,000 (8)
In a landmark order the State Human Rights Commission has asked a senior IPS officer to pay a Rs
50,000 fine to his junior female colleague for sexual harassment. The case which had created a stir in
Mumbai police circles when it was first reported in 2002, involves IPS officer Jawahar Singh, at present
under suspension for another matter, and Assistant Police Inspector Neelam Bhagat who is now with the
state CID (Criminal Investigations Department) in Kolhapur. In March 2002, Bhagat was posted as subinspector in the anti-narcotics wing of the Mumbai police where Singh was the Deputy Police of
Commissioner. According to her complaint, filed on March 1, 2002, Singh had called Neelam Bhagat into
his room over consecutive days and passed deeply offensive remarks about her clothing, at first calling it
flimsy, and then on another day berating her for covering herself up. Singh allegedly said: “Why do you
have to cover yourself with a dupatta so tightly that nothing can be seen? You could have worn it higher.”
On a third occasion, he called her into his office and famously remarked: 'Aap aaye, bahaar aayi.'A
distressed Bhagat had burst into tears and rushed out, but later she filed an official complaint against
Jawahar Singh. Initially, the complaint was not taken seriously and Bhagat was offered a transfer from the
department, which she refused. But after the matter was reported in the media, Jawahar Singh was
transferred. An inquiry conducted by then Additional Chief Secretary (Home) was inconclusive after which
Bhagat took up the matter with the State Human Rights Commission. Finally, nine years after her ordeal,
the complaint redressal committee ruled in her favour and ordered the compensation which will be
recovered from Singh, confirmed a senior home department officer, adding that an order to this effect had
been issued on September 23. Singh, who remains a controversial officer-he was suspended as
Inspector General (Jails) after conducting a sting operation against another woman colleague,
Aurangabag jail superintendent Swati Sathe, ostensibly to show her in poor light - refused to comment on
the SHRC compensation saying they had not called him for a hearing. Neelam Bhagat, too, refused to
comment on the matter. (Mumbai Mirror 29/9/11)
Dhaula Kuan is the feared zone in Delhi (8)
New Delhi: Dhaula Kuan continues to top the notoriety chart. A survey has found the south Delhi area to
be the most unsafe for women in the National Capital Region. Dhaula Kuan, Nelson Mandela Marg,
Benito Juarez Marg (both south Delhi), Paharganj (central Delhi) and Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road (south
Delhi) - in descending order - have emerged as the five most unsafe places for women in the survey
conducted by Whypoll, an NGO which describes ensuring better governance as its goal. As many as 1
lakh people participated in the exercise conducted on and off line. Most of the respondents were women,
who were asked to identify the places where they were harassed or felt unsafe at. Based on the findings,
the NGO has come up with a map - available on its website whypoll.org - of the 100 most unsafe places
in NCR. "Safety has to be a joint exercise. Naming these spots will create pressure on citizens and
businesses in the area to make efforts to get it off the list. It'll eventually make the city safer." The police,
however, say the rankings are based on perception. "These are impressions created on account of
certain incidents and subsequent media reports. We're already paying attention to these areas," said
Amulya Patnaik, joint commissioner of police (southern range). "When we patrol these areas, we find
women moving around without fear. Nonetheless extra force has been deployed." Whypoll is planning to
launch a phone app that will enable subscribers to alert chosen contacts in case of trouble. (Hindustan
Times 1/10/11)
25-yr-old pregnant woman killed for dowry (8)
KANPUR: A 25-year-old pregnant woman was murdered allegedly by her husband and in-laws for dowry
in Chakeri police area of the Industrial city on Friday. The deceased, Neeru Verma, was six months
pregnant. Neeru was married to Shailendra Kumar Verma of KDA Colony on November 27, 2009.
According to reports, on Friday morning, Neeru's husband, father-in-law Shyam Sunder Verma, motherin-law Santi Devi asked her to bring a motorcycle, a washing machine and some cash from her parents'
house. (Times of India 1/10/11)
978 pregnant women marooned in flood-hit Orissa district (8)
Kendrapara (Orissa): Rinarani Ojha has named her daughter 'Vanya' (flood) after the child was born
safely on the rooftop of a building surrounded by floodwaters in Kendrapara district where 978 marooned
women are in advanced stage of pregnancy. "As many as 978 women are in advanced stage of
pregnancy in flooded villages of Aul, Pattmundai, Rajkanika and Rajnagar blocks," said Jagadish Prasad
Sahu, District Project Manager, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). NRHM is a central scheme that
provides health care services to rural households with the main objective to decrease infant mortality and
maternal mortality rates. Rinarani Ojha of Jadupur village and Savita Sahu from Nalapari village were
lucky to have safely delivered a female and a male child respectively, although on rooftops shared by
many including men. "We were on rooftop. Suddenly she complained of labour pain. We could do nothing
but pray. She safely delivered a girl. The newborn is named 'Vanya'", said Rinarani's husband Surendra
Ojha. "As Savita developed labour pain, stranded people used cell phones to call police station and the
primary health centre, but no help came. By God's grace she had a safe delivery," said Suryakanta
Lenka, a local settler. However, all pregnant women might not be as lucky as the two as about 50 villages
located along the flooded Brahmani river system were still lying out of bounds. "Detailed health profile of
pregnant women in flooded villages are awaited. With most villages having services of NRHM's ASHA
workers, we hope all of them are safe. They are trained to handle situations like this," said Prasad. ASHA
(Accredited Social Health Activist) workers are local women trained by NRHM to work as an interface
between the community and the public health system. Panchayat members were told to immediately
intimate the NRHM in case of emergency so that medical attention could be paid to them but the medical
teams were facing the problem of shortage of boats, the NRHM district project manager said. Kendrapara
ex-MLA Utkal Keshari Parida alleged that the officials supervising flood relief operation have forgotten to
pay attention to these vulnerable sections. "I have personally requested the district officials several times
in this regard. But it had been of little effect," Parida said.(Financial Express 2/10/11)
Skewed sex ratio: MP launches 'Beti Bachao Abhiyan' (8)
BHOPAL: At 5am on May 30, Rani Dangi (23) was found hanging from the ceiling of her home in Tillor
Bujurg village, 20km from Indore city. Rani was in her fourth month of pregnancy and committed suicide
after a sonography test in Indore confirmed she was carrying a female foetus. She had given birth to a girl
child four years ago and was then forced to undergo two abortions for carrying female foetuses. A girl
child and two abortions later, Rani had hoped for a boy to escape the torture by her husband and in-laws.
Her parents told the police that after the last sonography test, the in-laws ordered a third abortion. Unable
to bear the cruelty any longer, Rani ended her life and the life of her unborn daughter. This is not an
isolated case but there are several Rani's in the state exploited or waiting to be exploited. To put an end
to discrimination against the girl child, Madhya Pradesh government will launch its 'Beti Bachao Abhiyan'
(Save Girl Child Movement)on Oct 6. The programme would take-off after the chief minister feeds over a
1,000 girls at his official residence. While the CM is hosting an elaborate banquet to honour the girl child
at his residence, all BJP MLAs and MPs have been instructed to organize a similar kind of feast for infant
girls and teenagers in their respective constituencies. The Census 2011 revealed that MP has lost 20
points in the child sex ratio since 2001. The state's girl count has come down from 932 girls per 1000
boys in 2001 to 912 a decade later. At this rate, the next census in 2021 could show number of girls
below 900. (Times of India 3/10/11)
Child sex ratio declines further in Haryana (8)
CHANDIGARH: In a shocking revelation, child sex ratio has further declined in Haryana. As per the
complied figures of first eight months of 2011 under the central registration system (CRS), the sex ratio is
just 826 girls: 1000 boys in the age group of 0-6 years, in comparison to 833:1000 of the corresponding
period in 2010. For 1,79,715 boys, just 1,49,745 girls were born in the current year. Even the census
figures released in March this year had suggested that the state has 830 girls for each 1,000 boys in the
age group of 0-6 years. According to CRS figures, 13 districts out of total 21 have registered decline in
the child sex ratio during the last one year. Kurukshetra and Mohindergarh are worst in this regard as the
sex ratio in these districts has declined by 63 and 33 points respectively, followed by Sonepat, Karnal and
Panipat. On the other hand, Jhajjar and Ambala have seen improvement in the sex ratio by 30 and 27
points respectively, followed by Bhiwani and Rewari. Already facing serious challenge on this front, the
latest figures are alarming for the state known for gender bias. A Rohtak based social activist Pawan
Bansal said change in the mindset towards women is the key to solve the problem. "There must be some
training or courses for middle rank bureaucracy and policemen up to the level of SHO to handle the
offences related with female, so that women don't feel harassed in getting resolved their complaints,"
suggested Bansal, adding that effective implementation of Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques(PNDT) Act is
necessary. However, the health officials claim that they have stepped up actions under PNDT Act,
especially in the recent past in response to dismissal figures of sex ratio in the state in 2011 census. The
health department has sealed and seized 21 ultrasound machines during last five months. In seven
cases, criminal prosecution has been launched in the courts, besides setting up of district task force at
district level to check on female feoticide. The health officials are hopeful about change in the situation in
near future, adding, they have taken many initiatives recently in this regard. "It may take 9-10 months to
see the impact of these initiatives," said an officer. Financial commissioner (health) Navraj Sandhu said; "
Now, we plan to focus at village-level to check the cases of sex selection and female feoticide."(Times of
India 5/10/11)
MP govt plans social boycott of dowry seekers (8)
BHOPAL: The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has asked its women and child welfare department to
work out a campaign for the "social boycott" of dowry seekers ahead of launching its "Beti Bachao"
movement. "Seeking dowry is a crime. What is wrong if we ask people to socially-boycott those who
demand dowry?" said Ranjana Baghel, minister for women and child development. "I am confident that
the anti-dowry campaign will gain momentum and will turn out to be complimentary to the state's Beti
Bachao movement," she told TOI. The department has been asked to rope in its field workers for the
campaign, she added. The state government plans to make the names of families demanding dowry
public and request local communities to boycott them. Placards, pamphlets and related promotional
material would be distributed in areas where practice of dowry is prevalent. Alarmed by the fall in child
sex ratio below the 900 mark in some districts, the state government is set to launch the "Beti Bachao"
movement from Wednesday. The programme will take off with the chief minister feeding around 1,000
girls at his residence on Wednesday. (Times of India 5/10/11)
Passports of 59 NRIs seized for harassing spouse (8)
Jalandhar: In a bid to help Indian women being cheated and harassed by their NRI husbands abroad,
Regional Passport Office has confiscated here passports of 59 such men, an official said Thursday.
Jalandhar Passport Office had formed a 'Woman Complaint Cell' to help women being harassed by their
NRI husbands in February, Regional Passport Officer Parneet Singh said. She said a Parliamentary
Standing Committee had sought a report about the working of 'Woman Complaint Cell' and it had also
asked as to how many passports had been seized in such cases. "We have so far received 198
complains and seized passports of 59 people in these cases. We are working on other cases and will take
action on them soon," she said. She said such cells would help provide justice to women being harassed
by their husbands living abroad. (Zee News 6/10/11)
Tortured & raped woman fights for justice in Ajmer (8)
AJMER: A woman belonging to the minority community stood steadfast against society when her
husband "sold" her to another man for money and she was repeatedly raped for three long months. The
local panchayat remained mute when her in-laws openly stripped her and her hair was cut. The patience
of the semi-literate woman ended when her two-year-old daughter was snatched and taken to Raipur for
child marriage. She went to Beawar police station and a case is registered against 24 villagers for dowry
harassment, rape and "selling" a woman. A tearful victim told TOI on Wednesday, that "even after
registration of FIR, nothing has been done by the police in the last 15 days. I am hiding to save my life
from them as they are hunting for me everywhere." She went to newly appointed superintendent of police
Rajesh Meena who assured her safety and action against the accused. According to the victim, she was
married to Sabeer son of Nemaji Kathat, resident of a remote village Gunda ka Bala of Beawer block on
April 15, 2006. "They harassed me and demanded I bring money from my father as Sabeer wanted to
start a new business," she said. Her in-laws were enraged when she gave birth to a girl and demanded
money to bring-up the girl in their house, she added. "My husband sold me to Ajad, son of Roshan of the
same village on June 12, 2011 and he took me to a house where Ajad locked me and raped me for three
months" she cried. She was freed in first week of September when she returned to her husband. "They
called a panchayat and stripped me accusing me of being characterless, blackened my face and cut my
hairs," the victim told TOI in tears. This was not the end to her ordeal. While the victim was crying after
the ill-treatment, her husband snatched her two-year-old daughter from her. "They took my daughter to
Raipur where they arranged a 'nikah' (marriage) of my daughter. I got pregnant after three month rape
and they aborted the baby." The victim went to her father in Rupnager village and there she came to
know that her daughter is in nearby Chittar village. (Times of India 6/10/11)
Dowry harassment law misused for extortion: Court (8)
New Delhi, Oct 9 : A Delhi court has acquitted a man and three of his family members in a dowry
harassment case, saying that legal provisions are often misused for "human rights violations, extortion
and corruption". Asking the woman complainant to move on in life, Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau
said: “A word of advice for the complainant that not all relationships in this world are successful. In fact,
most relationships which appear to succeed are only based upon compromises. Let go of the past which
is painful since attaching yourself to it will only give pain and miseries and help none.” "I may further
observe that section 498-A (penal provision on husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her
to cruelty) in recent years has become the consummate embodiment of gross human rights violations,
extortion and corruption, and even the Supreme Court of our country has acknowledged this abuse and
termed it as 'legal terrorism'," said Lau. "The provisions of Section 498-A are not a law to take revenge,
seek recovery of dowry or to force a divorce but a penal provision to punish the wrongdoers," the court
said Friday. "The platform of the courts cannot be permitted to be used to wreak personal vendetta or
unleash harassment and the tendency of the complainant to come out with inflated and exaggerated
allegations by roping in each and every relative of the husband is required to be deprecated," the court
said. "The obligation of the court is to ensure that innocent persons are not put to harassment and to
curtail the frivolous allegations at the earliest stage by looking for due corroboration from the facts," she
said. "The victims are often misguided into exaggerating the facts by adding those persons as accused
who are not connected with the harassment under a mistaken belief that by doing so they are making a
strong case as has happened in the present case where the complainant has involved the entire family of
the husband - father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law," said Lau. The court was hearing an appeal
filed by the prosecution against a metropolitan magistrate's decision to acquit the woman's husband and
his relatives. The prosecution stated that magisterial court while acquitting the accused had not applied its
mind as there was evidence on oath by a witness who said that the material goods given by the family of
the woman to her husband at the time of the marriage were still with the accused. While acquitting the
four accused in the case, Lau said: “It is not safe to rely upon the uncorroborated testimony of the
complainant." “There is no independent corroboration of the allegations levelled by the woman against
her husband Sanjay Kumar, father-in-law Vijay Kumar, mother-in-law Beena Devi and brother-in-law
Ranjit,” the court observed. "When the entire family of the complainant including her own father and
brother have not supported her version in the court, perhaps wanting her to move on in life, how then can
one find fault with the order of the trial court," the court asked. (New Kerala 9/10/11)
Low income single women demand public funds to live with dignity (8)
New Delhi: Many single women have much to cope with - widowhood, disease, raising children alone and
social restrictions, to name a few. Many single women have much to cope with - widowhood, disease,
raising children alone and social restrictions, to name a few. Not willing to rely on the charitable impulses
of family and society for support, the low-income single women in the country — comprising the most
vulnerable 10 per cent of the entire female population in the country — on Tuesday said public funds
were required for them to live with dignity. The number of Single Women in India is very large — 39.8
million as per 2002 Census. The Central and the State governments need to make adequate budgetary
provisions to reach out to this large number of women. Insufficient provisions at the top, lead to single
women in need being turned away, at the bottom, according to a survey “Are We Forgotten Women? A
study on the status of low-income single women in India” released by the National Forum for Single
Women’s Rights here on Tuesday. Seeking to debunk the general belief that all single women are old
women at the last stage of their life, the survey points out there are many young single women in
extremely challenging circumstances. Many have much to cope with — broken marriage, widowhood,
disease, raising children alone, no place to go, violence, harassment, exploitation, little formal education,
lack of employment, loneliness, social restrictions, and more. “Given the many disadvantages that come
with being a woman and being single, it cannot be believed that just because they are young and able
bodied, they would be able to fulfill all their needs, and those of their children. The security net of the
government has to include younger single women as well,” Ginny Shrivastava, author of the survey, told
reporters. The data of this study has been collected from single women in Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal
Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Rajasthan with about 386 respondents. More than half the
respondents are below the age of 45 years, while only 7.3 per cent are more than 60 years old. Even
though the group is relatively young, only less than half the women are literate. Of the respondents who
are literate, the drop-out rate before the completion of Primary as well as Secondary level education are
high, indicating low age at marriage. Over 65 per cent of the widowed women live in the marital village,
while 75 per cent of the separated and divorced women live in their natal village. Even though many
single women share or live in the same house as extended family members, they take responsibility for
themselves and their children. Single women are clearly the heads of their households, but they are not
recognised as such by the government with only around 40 per cent listed as “head of household” on their
Ration Card. Of the total respondents, 15.5 per cent lived alone. Housing and shelter needs of single
women are not adequately met. Most respondents live in 1 to 2 room kutcha houses, lacking in basic
amenities such as water, electricity and sanitation. While at least around 60 per cent of the widowed
women are able to retain control of the home that they built during the years of their marriage, while
separated and divorced women are instantly dispossessed when the marriage breaks up. Ever-married
women living in their natal homes often face abuse and are made to feel like a burden. Unmarried women
also do not have security of shelter after the death of the parents. “Single women are harassed by family
members and neighbours; they are viewed with suspicion and are often accused of immoral behaviour.
Many of them do not have a secure roof over their heads; they live with the fear of being thrown out by
landlords. Only 12.7 per cent of the respondents could benefit from Government housing schemes such
as the Indira Awas Yojana,” Ms. Shrivastava said. Only 40 per of the total respondents own land. Most of
them have marginal land holdings; many low-income single women belong to landless families, and
inheriting land is not really an option. Because of the unequal status ascribed to men and women in
society, 56 per cent of the women who are were born into land-owning families, did not get a share of it.
Only 69.4 per cent of the ever-married women got land from their in-laws, and of these, most were
widows. Single women often face problems keeping their land and house secure from unscrupulous
elements wanting to establish control over it. Social security pensions only reach about a quarter of the
respondents. This is far from adequate. Pension schemes have issues at both the level of policy and of
implementation. The existing pension scheme does not take into account social security needs of
separated and divorced women, of unmarried women, or of widows younger than 40 years. It is targeted
to cover only BPL households, leaving out many of the poor. While single women vote in large numbers,
their political participation at the local level is poor. There is lack of awareness about Local Self
Governance. However, the Local Self Governance system has the potential to bring democracy to the
grassroots. Thirty three per cent reservation for women in Local Self Governance has created an
opportunity for challenging and changing social norms. (The Hindu 11/10/11)
Why men in Gujarat village can't find women to marry (8)
Nearly two dozen men building a temple in this remote farming village lay down their tools at midday and
wal through the dusty streets to a shed where they are joined by another group of men, and start eating a
meal cooked by a man. They live, eat and sleep together, sharing mattresses on the bare floor of an
empty room the way a married couple usually would. All but a handful are unmarried, a living example of
India's rapidly worsening gender imbalance. Census data released earlier this year revealed there are
914 girls for every 1,000 boys born, a sharp fall since 2001 when the ratio was 933 girls for every 1000
boys. "I have been looking to marry since I was 15," said Vinodbhai Mehtaliya, a 23-year-old Siyani
farmer. A decades-old Indian preference for male children, who are seen as breadwinners, has led to the
skewed ratio, aided by cheap ultrasound tests that assist in sex-selective abortions and female
infanticide. Siyani, in Gujarat, shows the decline. Here, some 350 men over the age of 35 are simply
unable to get married, out of a total population of roughly 8,000. "I'm lucky I got married 20 years ago"
said 42-year-old Laljibhai Makwana, who works as a diamond polisher in one of the village's small
workshops. "If I was young here today I would never get married." The absence of women is obvious in
the village's bumpy, tiny lanes, where cows wander freely, especially in the evenings. "There is little
industrial development or infrastructure here, so people are poor and uneducated," said Prashant Dave,
the 41-year-old owner of a small flour mill who said he was lucky to be married. "There are too few
women and they leave for better prospects." Among the group of men living together, men perform all the
tasks which are traditionally the domain of women like, sweeping, cooking and cleaning. The situation has
also led to another reversal in custom, with some women and their parents asking for a lot of money from
men to allow men to marry them, an inversion of the usual dowry system in which the woman's family has
to pay the man's. At sunset, as the day's work ends, groups of unmarried men gather around the village
tea stalls and tobacco shops, lacking wives and families to go home to. "I've given up looking," said
Bharatbhai Khair, who is single at 45 and has been trying to marry for 25 years. "The women want more
money for marriage than I can afford." (DNA 12/10/11)
Four arrested for driving newly wed to suicide (8)
THANE: Four persons of a family have been arrested here on charges of harassing their newly wed
daughter-in-law for dowry following which she committed suicide, police said. Twenty-four-year-old
Sameer Sudhakar Wadekar was married to Trupti last year. After few days, her in-laws started making
exorbitant demands. The harassment increased day by day and she was locked in a room and not given
any food, according to a complaint filed by the victim's father. Fed up with the constant torture, Trupti
hung herself to death with the help of a rope, police said. Her body has been sent for postmortem and
foursome--Sameer Wadekar, his mother Sushma (40) sisters Sunita (19) and Supriya (20) have been
booked under several sections of the IPC. (Times of India 14/10/11)
Unions urged to fight for women's rights (8)
MANGALORE, October 16, 2011: The trade union movement should also address working women's
problems along with other workers' rights, Secretary of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) K.
Hemalata said here on Saturday. Speaking at a convention of working women organised by CITU, Ms.
Hemalata urged trade unions to take up women-specific problems within the fight for workers' rights. Ms.
Hemalata said that working women faced several problems that working men did not. For instance,
unequal wages for equal work, lack of separate toilets, lack of crèches and absence of maternity benefits
in the unorganised sector, and bias in recruitment and granting of promotions in the organised sector.
This apart, sexual harassment and offences were also rampant, she said. Although, the Union
government had prepared a draft Bill on sexual harassment, it had two major flaws, she said. The Bill did
not include domestic workers under its ambit as it did not consider house as a public place despite
domestic work was emerging as a growing sector for employment for women in urban areas. Another flaw
in the Bill was that it sought to penalise women who made mala fide complaints. Ms. Hemalata said that
there were laws to deal with mala fide complaints, and that there was no need to include a separate
provision for it in the Bill. rassment and offences. Ms Hemalata urged women to participate in large
numbers in the jail bharo agitation to be organised by 11 national trade unions on November 8. (The
Hindu 16/10/11)
'Women still continue to get less pay than men' (8)
Mangalore, Oct 15, DHNS: Though the Equal Remuneration Act was implemented in India in 1976, in
many work places women are still paid lesser than men. In organised sectors women are given different
designations so that they can be given lesser pay and in unorganised sectors the work done by women is
considered to be light and hence she is entitled to a lesser pay. In many cases men do not want women
to be paid salary equal to their’s as it hurts their ego, said Working Women Coordination Committee
Convener Dr Hemalatha after inaugurating the seventh working women state convention in Mangalore.
Stressing on the need for implementation of women’s rights at workplaces, she said that women are
subjected to sexual harassment. Many a time’s sexual favours are expected from women in return to
employment or promotion. “These cases are not taken seriously by the companies. They are often
reffered to or forwarded to women’s organizations. Though a Committee must be set up in every work
place to address the problems faced by women, these have not been implemented,” she said and added
that many women do not report sexual harassment in fear of the social stigma. “Women are also
expected to work in late night shifts. Though the law allows women to work only till eight in many places
they are made to work beyond this time without transportation facilities,” she said. Maternity Benefit Act
has not been implemented especially in the unorganised sectors. There is a need to have crèches in case
there are more than 50 women employees in an organisation. However, this is not known to many and
hence it has not been implemented, she informed. She also revealed that CITU has decided to form subcommittees in various work places. These committees will report the grievances to the trade unions, who
will try to seek justice for the women subjected to injustice at work places. CITU State Committee Vice
president B Madhava said CITU aims to train women to be leaders, he said. (Deccan Herald 16/10/11)
'Women are still missing from most corporate boards' (8)
MUMBAI: Ask employees in leading companies whether their offices are gender-sensitive and they may
be able to rattle off a host of policies in place. Probe some more and one will realize that many policies
aren't really implemented. "Companies clearly shy away from advancing women in the organization,"
shows the 2011 "WILL Best Employers for Women in Corporate India", which was released in the city on
Monday. The survey report studied 250 leading companies across sectors including Deloitte, Accenture,
Axis Bank, BHEL and IBM India and held focus group discussions with over 1,000 workers. It found that
nearly 50% offices used gender-sensitive language in their policy documents or had "stated policies"
against sexual harassment. One in four offices conducted gender sensitization training programmes. Yet,
they still had a long way to go to be truly gender-friendly. Projects in nearly 30 % companies weren't
audited from a gender perspective and another 30% didn't collect gender-disaggregated data in planning
and reporting. The survey's findings were corroborated by industry leaders like former Infosys board
member T V Mohandas Pai, who said company boards in the country are patriarchal and were mostly old
boys' networks. "Even family-owned businesses don't put women on the board," he pointed out. The
dismal representation says it all. Women make up 40 % of the executive and corporate workforce in the
9,000 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, but only a dismal 10% made it to senior and
management positions and less than 5% were on corporate boards. "We want companies to take genderinclusiveness away from the current emphasis on talent into the sphere of economics to make them
realize that women contribute to profit margins," said Poonam Barua, founder chairman of WILL Forum
India, an independent forum promoting women in leadership. The study has laid down guidelines for
corporate India. For instance, the survey suggests that companies should identify and designate
independent diversity officers, have regular gender audits and introduce family-friendly policies which
would encourage women to join the workforce, like full-time day care centers, flexible work hours and
safety measures. for women employees such as taxi expenses for those working late hours or measures
for safety during outstation tours. WHAT: WILL Best Employers for Women in Corporate India-2011
SAMPLE: 250 companies and focused group discussions with over 1,000 employees. FINDINGS Nearly
50 % offices used gender-sensitive language in their policy documents One in four offices conducted
gender sensitization training programmes for offices. Nearly 30 % offices didn't have projects audited
from a gender perspective One in three companies didn't reveal the number of women employees on
their boards. (Times of India 18/10/11)
95-year-old woman gets life in dowry case (8)
NEW DELHI: A 95-year-old woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Delhi high court after
finding her guilty in a dowry death case in 1996. A division bench of Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and
Justice Sunil Gaur held Sumitra guilty of burning to death her daughter-in-law and seven-month-old
grandson, 13 years after a trial court acquitted her in the case. The high court relied on the dying
declaration of the victim, given more than 15 years ago, while passing the judgment. Giving full credence
to the dying declaration of the victim, Meenu, the bench sentenced Sumitra to life imprisonment for
committing the double murder in collusion with her elder son and daughter-in-law. Meenu was killed for
bringing insufficient dowry, according to the prosecution, which also informed the court that the infant was
in his mother's arms at the time of the crime. The elder son and daughter-in-law of the convict died early
this year before the high court could conclude its hearing on the Delhi Police's appeal against their
acquittal. In her dying declaration Meenu had told the sub-divisional magistrate that her mother-in-law,
along with her elder son and daughter-in-law, had set her ablaze after dousing her with kerosene even as
she held her child in her arms. She said that though her husband and her father-in-law never harassed
her, her mother-in-law, elder brother-in-law and sister-in-law used to frequently harass her for dowry. The
incident took place on March 20, 1996. The trial court had found Sumitra innocent after relying on the
deposition by the victim's mother, who had submitted that her daughter was unconscious when she had
tried to talk to her in hospital. Pulling up the trial court judge, the high court said "such an approach of the
trial court is not only patently perverse but has also resulted in grave miscarriage of justice." "In the
instant case, we have found the dying declaration of Meenu completely trustworthy and there is no valid
basis from which it could be said that the declarant was not in a fit state of mind to give the statement."
Meenu was married to Sumitra's son Sanjay about one-and-a-half years before the incident in Amarpuri in
central Delhi.(Times of India 19/10/11)
Brother cries foul, woman unable to bear boy child dies (8)
Jaipur, Oct 20 : The brother of a 38-year-old woman who died under mysterious circumstances has filed a
police complaint against her in-laws here, alleging they used to beat her up as she had not given birth to a
boy child, police said Thursday. Rajasthan, among other states, has recently been in the news due to
increasing cases of female foeticide and infanticide. Poverty, ignorance about family planning and high
dowry demands have been reported among the possible causes for such crimes. The brother further
alleged that the in-laws forced her to abort at least twice when illegal sex determination during pregnancy
showed that the child would be a girl. According to the police, Bhupendra Singh, a resident of Tilak Nagar
in New Delhi, registered a first information report with Jhotwara police station Thursday, a day after the
death of his sister, Kuldeep Kaur. Kuldeep had married one Jitendra Singh, living in Prem Nagar of
Jhotwara area, in 2005. "The in-laws told the police that Kuldeep was found dead after they returned from
a function Wednesday. She had been left alone at home," said a police officer. He added that the cause
of death was being investigated. "We have conducted the postmortem and the report is awaited," said the
officer. Her brother, Bhupendra, claimed in the complaint that Kuldeep had called him from the bathroom
of her in-laws' house two days before her death. "She was scared and said that she feared her husband
would kill her. She had a three- year-old daughter. They wanted a boy and had forced her to abort girl
children at least twice in the past," Bhupendra claimed. According to the Census 2011, Rajasthan has
883 girls between the age of 0-6 for every 1,000 boys. Alarmed over the state's skewed sex ratio, the
state government recently announced steps to curb pre-natal sex determination tests at ultrasound
clinics. The steps include increasing the number of health department inspection teams and equipping
them with devices like hidden cameras and voice recorders. The state government has also increased the
amount of money given to a person who complains about errant ultrasound clinics. (New Kerala 20/10/11)
Sexual harassment victim launches indefinite stir )8)
Mysore, Oct 19 : A Research Scholar from Mysore University and victim of alleged sexual harassment by
her guide, Prof Shivabasavaiah, launched an indefinite stir along with her husband in front of Deputy
Commissioner's office here today. She was protesting the revocation of suspension of Prof
Shivabasavaiah by the University. She was being supported by about 20 activists of various
organizations. She alleged the report of the Varsity Women Harassment Complaint Cell was not been
taken into cognizance by the University and the Professor was left scot-free by revocation of suspension
with literally no legal punishment. She sought a good healthy atmosphere for girl students at the
University, the morale of which had gone down after the ugly incident. Referring to a similar case, she
lauded the Mangalore Varsity which had given compulsory retirement to a accused recently. (New Kerala
20/10/11)
SC notice to J&K on rape victims’ names disclosure (8)
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday sought an explanation from Jammu and Kashmir
government for allegedly making public names and addresses of rape victims in the state. A bench
headed by RM Lodha also sought a response from the Centre on the alleged violation of rules by the
state government by making the names of victim public in the legislative assembly. "Identity of the rape
victim has to be withhold and cannot be disclosed," the bench said while issuing a notice to the
government. The court was hearing a PIL filed by a Jammu-based journalist Rajiv Chuni alleging the state
government has flouted and disregarding the broad parameters laid down by the apex court in the interest
rape victims. "Due to the unconcern and transgression shown by none other than the protectors of the
state, they have facilitated blatant misuse of authority of law though their job delegated under the
constitution of India is to protect the people's right," Chunni said in his petition. "Among women who are
subjected to sexual assault or rape, only a small percentage would come forward to give complaint
against the culprit to the police, others are not coming due to the social constraints. But now this
derogatory and deceitful act of the respondents, they will be furthermore discouraged to come forward
and depose before the court of law or challenge this order of the respondents due to fear of getting further
exposed and being cheated by the law enforcers," the petition said. (Zee News 21/10/11)
Nearly 25 percent of Chinese women suffer domestic violence: Survey (8)
Beijing, Oct 21 : Around 25 percent of women in China have experienced some form of domestic
violence, a survey has revealed. The All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) and the National Bureau of
Statistics (NBS) survey, covering 105,573 women aged 18 and above across the country, revealed that
reports of physical assault stood at 5.5 percent, with a rate of 7.9 percent among rural women and 3.1
percent among their urban counterparts. The survey classified domestic abuse as verbal humiliation,
physical assault, deprivation of personal freedom, illegal control of income and rape, Xinhua reports. Zhen
Yan, ACWF vice chairwoman, said that compared to a decade ago, women have shown more awareness
about domestic abuse. "Traditionally domestic abuse was considered a family affair, and most victims go
to the police or women's associations," she said. "That's why the problem did not stand out in the
research years ago," she added. She pointed out that, at present, when items related to domestic abuse
have been written into several laws, and efforts have been made to increase awareness, more victims
turn to the police, non-governmental groups and the media for help. Yan added that the ACWF is
assertively lobbying lawmakers to adopt a special law on domestic abuse. (New Kerala 21/10/11)
Kerala ranks first in harassment of women: minister (8)
Kochi, Oct 26 : Pointing out sarcastically that Kerala which was at the forefront in literacy, was also first in
harassment of women, Social Welfare Minister Dr M K Muneer today stressed the need for the strong
resistance from the society against the social evil. Inaugurating a workshop on legislators to protest
women and elderly people, organised jointly by state legal services and the women commission here, he
said the state would soon be having the highest percentage of elderly people in the country, registering
15 per cent. This was against the national percentge of seven, he pointed out. One of the great
challenges that the women commission would face in the future was protecting the aged people from
harassment by their children, he said. Chief Justice C N Ramachandran Nair, who presided over the
function suggested that the only solution to curb harassment of women was to make them economically
powerful. (New Kerala 27/10/11)
More Indian women prone to anaemia: Study (3)
New Delhi, October 26, DHNS: The recently released India Human Development report (IDHR) 2011
points out that more Indian women are getting anaemic over the years. The report which was prepared
under the auspices of the Planning Commission says that the percentage of women suffering from
anaemia has increased by 3 per cent during the periods of 1998-99 and 2005-06. The report shows that
while the percentage of woman suffering from anaemia has increased for all caste groups, the women
from the Scheduled Tribes (ST) are the worst off. The highest percentage of anaemic women was
recorded among the STs during the National Family Health Survey (NFHS) rounds. It was closer to the
national average for the SCs and OBCs in 2005-6. The report reveals how a robust economic
development cannot necessarily ensure good health to women. The statistics of the period also do not
leave any scope for stereotypes that this phenomenon is linked to poverty and underdevelopment. “An
exclusive condition from wealth to anaemia should not be drawn since a high percentage of women
suffering from anaemia are found to be within the highest wealth quintile,” states the report. As per the
District Level Health Survey (2002-04), the prevalence of the anaemia in adolescent girls is very high at
72.6 per cent with the prevalence of severe anaemia among them being much higher at 21.1 per cent
than among pre-school children. “Among adolescent girls, educational or economic status does not seem
to make a difference in terms of the prevalence of anaemia. This may be due to culturally determined and
historically practiced gender discrimination against girls.” The report has cited poor bio-availability of iron
in the Indian diet and the high level of water and food borne infections as other aggravating factors. The
Eleventh Five Year Plan targeted a 50 per cent reduction in anaemia among women by 2012. However,
during 2005-6, more than half of women aged 15-49 years suffered from anaemia, an increase of 3 per
cent from the 1998-9 period, reveals the IDHR. According to the report, in 2005-6, the incidence of
anaemia was the lowest in Kerala at 33 per cent, followed by Punjab. Anaemia is more prevalent among
women in rural areas as compared to the women in urban areas. There has been an increase in the
incidence of women suffering from anaemia between 1998-99 and 2005-06, across all religious
communities (expect for Jains and Others). The increase was observed to be the highest for Muslim
women with six percent. “While the prevalence of anaemia among Hindus and Muslims was closer to the
overall national average, it was lowest for Sikhs and Jain women,” the report shows. (Deccan Herald
27/10/11)
Women outnumber men in smaller cities (8)
Bangalore, Oct 27, DHNS: Women constitute a larger proportion of the population in many of the smaller
cities in Karnataka, in sharp contrast to the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits which
has skewed sex ratio at 914 females for 1,000 males. According to the latest paper on Census of India
2011 (Urban agglomeration and cities provisional population totals) released recently, 11 out of 26 class
one cities in the State have more women compared to men. Cities which have crossed the one lakh
population mark are categorised as class one urban agglomerations. The spread of these cities is across
the State and include Gangavathi in Koppal, Gadag-Betageri, Hospet, Bhadravati, Udupi, Chikmagalur,
Mandya, Hassan, Mangalore, Robertsonpet and Mysore. Robertsonpet has the highest sex ration of
1,023 women to 1,000 men. Experts feel the trend is due to the migration of women from rural areas to
smaller cities in search of jobs. However, BBMP seems to be the exemption. Here, migrant population
seeking employment is largely male. Overall, the State has shown an improvement in the sex ratio and
stands much above the all India average. Karnataka has 968 females per 1,000 males, the highest since
1921 and a three-point increase from 965, a few years ago. In comparison, the all India sex ratio is 940
female against 1,000 male. Coastal cities stand out when it comes to high literacy rate. Mangalore City
Corporation tops the list with 94.03 per cent of its 4.84 lakh population being literate, followed by Udupi
(93.80 pc) and Hassan (90.51). Gangavathi City Municipal Council with 76.58 per cent has the least
literacy rate among the 26 class one cities. Across the country, in 89 class one cities, the literacy rate has
crossed 90 per cent. The corresponding number of cities was only 23 in census 2001. (Deccan Herald
28/10/11)
85-yr-old woman gets life for bride burning (8)
NEW DELHI: An 85-year-old woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment along with her elder son for
burning alive her younger son's wife for failing to fulfil her dowry demands. Additional Sessions Judge
Pawan Kumar Jain held Turkman Gate resident Husan Bano and her son Nasim guilty of harassing her
younger son Nasiruddin's wife Gulnaz for dowry and burning her alive on the basis of her dying
declaration. "The dying declaration was made by deceased Gulnaz voluntarily narrating the true facts of
incident, which resulted in her death and it was not the result of tutoring as contended by accused
persons," said the court. While relying upon the victim's dying declaration to convict the accused, the
court brushed aside the defence counsel contention that her last statement was not supported by even
the prosecution witnesses, including her husband, who had turned hostile. "I hereby sentence both the
convicts Husan Bano and Nasim with rigorous imprisonment for life," the judge said, while also imposing
a fine of Rs 12,000 on each of them. As per the prosecution, a day before the incident on October 22,
2008, Husan and Nasim had beaten Gulnaz for failing to bring dowry. The police said the next day when
the victim woke up, Husan again picked up a fight with her, while Nasim doused her with kerosene oil and
set her ablaze. Hearing her cries, her husband Nasuriddun and their nephew Shoaib came out and after
extinguishing the fire took her to a nearby hospital, where she died two months later. (Times of India
30/10/11)
FB erupts over Mumbai eve-teasing killings (8)
Mumbai, November 02, 2011: A night out in Mumbai turned fatal for Keenan Santos, 25, and Rueben
Fernandes, 28, when they tried to defend their female friends from eve teasers. A Facebook campaign
seeking justice has now drawn a tremendous response from netizens. On October 20, the group of seven
had gone to enjoy the India-England ODI at a bar-cum-restaurant in Andheri. After the match the group
stopped at a paan shop just outside the restaurant, where three men led by one Jitendra Rana started
passing lewd comments about the women in the group. According to police, Santos and Fernandes
confronted Rana and his friends and shooed them away. But minutes later, Rana returned with a group of
15 men. Santos was stabbed in the abdomen and Fernandes was beaten with bamboo sticks. The two
were rushed to Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital where Santos was declared dead. Fernandes died
on October 31. Police arrested Rana and three others on charges of murder. By Wednesday, around
26,000 people had come out in support of the online campaign. Querida Fernandes, who has set up the
webpage, said, "We want the accused to get severe punishment." Rueben Fernandes's brother Benjamin
said, "The main purpose of the page is to make sure that such an incident does not occur again." HTC
(The Hindustan Times 2/8/11)
Alarming rise in crime against woman: NCRB (8)
JAIPUR: Despite the fact that Rajasthan and its capital are far behind other areas in crime against woman
but there has been a significant rise in crimes, including dowry deaths, harassment by husband and
relatives, molestation and sexual harassment in the state. Compared to 2009 there has been a rise in
crime against women in Rajasthan and Jaipur. Though the recently released figures of National Crime
Records Bureau (NCRB) suggested that Delhi tops the chart in dowry death cases as 112 women
became victims of dowry deaths, Jaipur stands at number five has 30 women losing their lives in such
cases. "It seems that Mahila police stations are not able to bridge a gap between conflicting couples. The
rising number of deaths is alarming and it needs serious intervention from the civil society and police,"
said an office bearer of an NGO. The missing case of ANM Bhanwari Devi has already given sleepless
nights to the Rajasthan Police. The NCRB figures, however, suggest a slight dip in kidnapping of women
compared to 2009 in Jaipur. According to NCRB figures 217 women were kidnapped in 2009 while the
figure was 207 in 2010. It says that 189 girls were abducted in 2009 while 193 girls were abducted in
2010. "In most of the registration in abduction and kidnapping cases till 2010, many of the girls had
eloped. Some of them got married while some were recorded till March, 2011," said a senior officer of
Jaipur police commissionerate. As far as molestation and sexual harassment of females are concerned
Jaipur has witnessed a significant rise compared to 2009. According to the NCRB records Rajasthan
stands fourth when it comes to outraging modesty (molestation) cases reported in 2010 as 2,339 women
became victims. Police claimed in majority of the cases prompt arrests were made. The officers said that
in a majority of the crimes against women cases, including dowry deaths, sexual harassment, molestation
and others, Rajasthan and Jaipur took fifth or sixth position in the country. B L Soni, commissioner of
police, said, "We are yet to tally the results of 2011 as in Jaipur especially there has been a dip in such
cases till October, 2011. Since in the cases registered in 2009 and 2010 police were able to make prompt
arrests and ensured conviction, there has been fall in such cases in 2011." Boxes - All these are NCRB
figures for 2010: Molestation in states: Madhya Pradesh 6,646, Andhra Pradesh 4,634, Maharashtra
3,661, Orissa 2,905, West Bengal 2,464, Rajasthan 2,339, Molestation in cities: Delhi 550, Mumbai 475,
Bengaluru 308, Indore 211, Hyderabad 171, Jaipur 115, Dowry deaths in the states: Uttar Pradesh 2,217,
Bihar 1,257, Madhya Pradesh 892, West Bengal 507, Rajasthan 462, Dowry deaths in the cities: Delhi
112, Kanpur 92, Bengaluru 52, Lucknow 50, Hyderabad 44, Jaipur 30 (Times of India 3/11/11)
Caritas India to launch campaign against female foeticide (8)
KOCHI: Caritas India, the social action wing of the Catholic Bishop's Conference of India (CBCI), will be
launching several campaigns against female foeticide and infanticide as part of its golden jubilee year
programme. Father Varghese Mattamana, executive director of Caritas India, said, "In many parts of the
country the sex ratio has become a major concern. According to the recent census report there has been
a decline in sex ratio to 914 females against 1000 males in the national level, which will get worse in the
future. Our aim is to spread the importance of having a girl child, among people who think they are a
liability." The organization will launch the awareness programmes in association with Sister Doctors
Forum of India (SDFI) and various other NGO's across India. The state level golden jubilee celebrations
of Caritas India will be based on community managed development prospects in Kerala, to be
inaugurated by KC Venugopal, minister of state for power on Thursday. (Times of India 3/11/11)
'Women must rise against social evils' (8)
LUCKNOW: President Pratibha Patil highlighted the present situation of the women in the society and
advocated martial arts . She said a paradox exists in the country. On one hand, women have proved that
they can undertake all tasks, be it scaling the Himalayas, going to space, serving in the Armed Forces or
the police, managing multinational companies, joining professions like medicine, engineering, on the
other, they face challenges and discrimination owing to social prejudices and social evil, Patil said.
"Issues such as female foeticide, dowry, girls considered as burden and the helpless conditions of widows
need immediate attention,'' she said. Raising the issue of women empowerment, country's first woman
president said it can bring a big change in the society. "If we make progress on gender mainstreaming,
more and more women will become full partners in the activities of the nation and society," she said. But,
she cautioned, this will likely generate another set of challenges, which, too would need attention. "When
a woman joins the workforce, we need to think of the challenges like childcare support, balancing home
and professional life that she may have to face. We, therefore, need approaches that are not only
comprehensive but also forward looking so that challenges of an evolving society can be met," President
said. On the occasion, she also appealed to the young girls of the institution to stand up against the social
evils and help the other women who are victims of societal prejudices. The President added that there is a
strong correlation between women's education and their overall progress, including their economic
development. "If women are to find their rightful voice, it would only be possible if they are educated, and
trained in skill building which will help in enhancing their self-esteem and confidence,'' she said. Earlier,
the President released a first-day cover on IT College. Patil, along with Governor BL Joshi, released two
books - 'Isabella Thoburn College - A Historical Perspective' and 'Reflections'. She also unveiled a plaque
commemorating her presence in the college. The President also posed with the college staff for a
photograph and was escorted to the dais by all the teachers. The choir presented the college song for the
President. She was also presented a memento. College principal ES Charles spoke on the long journey
of the college. ``It's a wonderful day in the history of the college,'' she said. Governor BL Joshi mentioned
the names of some renowned alumni like Urdu writer Ismat Chugtai, Rajmata Scindia, Padma Shri V
Mohini Giri, Suman Sahay and others. Among those present were minister in waiting Nakul Dubey and
chairman, Methodist Church in India, Bishop Taranath Sagar. (Times of India 3/11/11)
Woman ends life, kin allege dowry (8)
NEW DELHI: A 28-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself at her residence in
Vasant Kunj in South Delhi. The deceased, Swati Sharma, worked as an administrative officer with an
insurance company. She hailed from Guwahati in Assam and had got married to Rakesh Yadav, a
software engineer in Noida, two years back. The couple has a year-old daughter. Her husband had made
a PCR call to the police on Wednesday night informing them about the incident. The cops reached the
spot and broke open the door only to find Swati hanging from the ceiling fan. However, the family
members of the deceased, who arrived from Assam on Thursday, alleged that she had been murdered
and accused the groom's family of having committed the crime. They demanded that a case of dowry
death be lodged against Yadav's family. "We have asked for an SDM inquiry into the matter and the case
is being investigated. Action will be taken only after we get the postmortem report and the SDM's report
on the incident," said Chhaya Sharma, DCP (south). The body has been kept in a hospital for postmortem
and would be handed over to the family on Friday morning. Demanding action against Yadav's family,
Rakesh Sharma, the brother of the deceased, alleged that she had been murdered. "The door to the
balcony was left open from where the assailant must have escaped. Even a bowl was kept on the table.
Would she stop feeding her daughter and commit suicide," he said. Swati was allotted the Vasant Kunj
flat by her company. Her husband, his mother and his sister lived in the flat. "She was being harassed
and her husband used to frequently quarrel with her. They did not even consider that she was bringing up
a daughter. We, however, never thought they will torture her to death," said Rakesh, Swati's brother.
Swati worked as an IT officer in Agricultural Insurance company of India. (Times of India 4/11/11)
Campaign against harassment goes to pubs, restaurants (8)
The cries of anguish that followed the Amboli double-murder have now turned into a call for tougher
measures to curb sexual harassment of women on Mumbai's streets, once considered the safest in the
country. Today, a petition seeking tougher laws to deal with sexual harassment will be put up on a
Facebook page created by a group of professionals, who believe Mumbai must have zero tolerance for
men misbehaving with women. The page, titled Zero Tolerance -- Stop Sexual Harassment, has got close
to 1000 registrations within a day of going live. The group, starting today, will also camp outside popular
joints in Andheri like Redbox, Caravan, Sarai, China Gate, Firangi Pani and Fun Republic to get more
signatures on the petition and to urge women to stand up to sexual harassment and men to stand with
them. Two young men, Reuben Fernandes and Keenan Santos, were killed outside a popular restaurant
on October 20 by a group of armed men when they objected to one of their women friends being touched
inappropriately. The four accused on Thursday were sent to one-day police custody. Sagar Bekal, a Zero
Tolerance volunteer, said the idea is to empower women to react to harassment and not ignore or endure
it. “Our first goal is to spread awareness, especially amongst the young, that sexual harassment is not
acceptable. The idea is to empower women through imparting information about their rights and the
existing laws. For example, what exactly should a girl do if she is touched inappropriately in public?” he
said. The young professionals, all part of social awareness group Yuva Satta, want at least 100,000
signatures on the petition before presenting it to Home Minister R R Patil. And they have resolved to not
step back till stricter laws are in place. “This time we will not give up till the laws are made stricter so as
act a real deterrent,” said Nandita Kotwal, a final-year student at Ruia college. The petition, which will be
up for online endorsements as early as 2 am on Friday, mentions that Section 354 of the Indian Penal
Code, which deals with ‘assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty’ is a
cognizable but bailable offence, and bail is granted in a majority of cases. Section 509 of IPC - word,
gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman - a non-cognizable offence and does not even
reflect on the criminal record of the perpetrator of the crime. The petition says that the Government of
Maharashtra has demonstrated in the past that it can act and produce results should it choose to. “The
best known example in recent memory being the campaign against drinking and driving. We need to
change the casual approach towards sexual harassment, which can only be achieved by strong
enforcement of the existing laws, strengthening sections of the law which have lacunae as mentioned
above and genuinely empowering women as opposed to mere lip service.” The Zero Tolerance campaign
in the days to come will reach out to all sections of the society. On Saturday, the campaign group will be
joined by members of several Parishes across the city to get as many signatures on the petition as
possible. (Mumbai Mirror 5/11/11)
UP tops in crimes against women, says panel (8)
New Delhi: In the last three months, Uttar Pradesh has topped the list of states from where maximum
numbers of complaints of harassment/ crime against women have been received by the National
Commission for Women (NCW). Of the 2,889 complaints that NCW has received since August 2011, as
many as 2,853 were from UP. The commission has received 526 complaints from Delhi, 372 from
Rajasthan, 217 from Haryana and 139 from Madhya Pradesh. A majority (1119) of these complaints were
of police apathy where victims failed to get their complaints registered. The other cases were of domestic
violence/ matrimonial dispute, property disputes, rape cases and complaints by in-laws. "We have written
to the respective state governments for taking necessary action to address the issue. But we have not got
a very encouraging response," NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma said. To ensure that women victims do
not face harassment while getting their complaints registered, NCW has now firmed up a proposal to start
a dedicated toll-free call centre where women can call up to lodge their complaints. "The call centre will
ensure that victims, who do not get a hearing in their states, do not have to come to the NCW
headquarters to lodge complaints," said Sharma. The call centre will be set up within the next three
months on a pilot basis. (he Hindustan Times 5/11/11)
Woman branded witch, brutally tortured in Rajasthan (8)
Bhilwara (Rajasthan), Nov 6: A 55-year-old woman in Rajasthan's Bhilwara district was branded as a
witch by villagers and brutally tortured, beaten and had chilli powder thrown into her eyes and private
parts, police said Sunday. She was admitted to hospital in a critical condition. The police have registered
a first information report (FIR) against some villagers, but no arrest has been made as the accused are on
the run. According to the police, the incident took place in Gurawari village of the district, some 250 km
from state capital Jaipur. "The victim, 55-year-old Sayri, was returning home from a temple when four
people including a woman intercepted her and started beating her with sticks," a senior police officer told
IANS. Soon a huge crowd of villagers gathered there as the attackers claimed she was a witch and was
possessed by an evil spirit. One of the attackers is said to be the victim's relative. They also stripped the
woman. "One of the attackers, Devi Lal and his wife Premi Devi threw chilli powder in her eyes and
private parts. On seeing this, the woman's mentally challenged son Ratan rushed to her rescue, but he
was also beaten up," the officer said. One of the villagers informed the police. A police team rushed her to
hospital in an unconscious state. "She is still undergoing treatment. We have registered a case against
the attackers, but they are missing from the village. Teams have been rushed to various places in
search," the officer said. Police said the attackers had been harassing the woman for a long time claiming
that she was possessed by evil spirits which were the cause of prolonged illness in some children in the
village. Many similar incidents of branding women as witches and torturing them have been reported from
remote rural areas of Rajasthan. The state department of women and child development recently
proposed a stringent law against the practice of branding women as witches. According to the draft of the
Rajasthan Women (Prevention and Protection from Atrocities) Bill, 2011, a crime would be considered to
have been committed when any person or community intentionally or inadvertently abets, conspires, aids
and instigates the identification of a woman as a witch, leading to her mental and physical torture and
humiliation. The bill has proposed a maximum of seven years' imprisonment and fine for those who grab
the land of such women after forcing them to leave their houses. If a woman commits suicide after being
called a witch, the accused shall be given a prison sentence of not less than five years, which can be
extended to 10 years, with a minimum fine of Rs.25,000. The fine can be enhanced to Rs.50,000, the bill
draft says. (New Kerala 6/11/11)
11,000 college students to work as 'save girl sainiks' (8)
CHANDIGARH: Worried over the " missing girls", red cross societies in Haryana will train over 11,000
college students, preferably girls, as "save girl sainiks" to launch a campaign against female foeticide in
the state known for a skewed gender ratio in the country. The details of these sainks, including their
photographs and bio-data, will be displayed on the website of red cross societies to keep in touch with
them even after they leave their respective institutions. To train the sainiks seminars will be organized in
colleges and experts will give them tips to motivate parents to save the girl child. "With this move, at least
these 11,000 sainiks won't indulge in female foeticide," said Shyam Sunder, media advisor of Haryana
Red Cross Society adding that each sainik would get an identity card. "These students will turn into
parents in coming years and we hope that they won't forget the importance of girls. As parents, they will
be in a position to make a change by deciding against gender bias," said Syham Sunder, who is also
secretary of Red Cross Society, Yamunanagar. "We will initiate this campaign from Yamunanagar," he
said, adding that he has already coordinated with two colleges in this regard. During his tenure in Bhiwani
as secretary, Red Cross secretary Shyam Sunder had introduced various innovative ideas like "kuan
pujan" (worship of well) and "thali beating" on the birth of a girl child and an eighth "phera" while
solemnizing weddings with an oath against female foeticide. "In Bhiwani, we had received a good
response from colleges in the save girl child campaign," he claimed, adding that just action against
ultrasound centres won't yield good results in absence of support from the society. About the new
campaign, Haryana Red Cross state secretary G P Taneja has sent a communication to all deputy
commissioners, who are presidents of district red cross societies, to initiate the campaign in their districts.
"After seminars, a save girl team will be set up in each district which will work under the supervision of
deputy commissioner and civil surgeon concerned," Taneja added in the communication. Despite all
efforts, the state has witnessed decline especially in the child sex ratio which is monitored on a monthly
basis under central registration system (CRS) by recording birth of children. As per the complied figures
of first eight months of 2011, the sex ratio is just 826 girls: 1000 boys in the age group of 0-6 years, in
comparison to 833:1000 of the corresponding period in 2010 in Haryana. Even the census figures
released in March this year had suggested that the state has 830 girls for each 1,000 boys in the age
group of 0-6 years. (Times of India 8.11.11)
Maharashtra's shame: Conviction in only 5% of sexual harassment cases (8)
MUMBAI: Campaigns against the sexual harassment of women have been steadily gaining momentum
both online and on the streets of Mumbai following the twin murders of Amboli residents Keenan Santos,
24, and Reuben Fernandez, 29. But passing lewd comments and making inappropriate gestures go
largely unpunished in Maharashtra, if the figures of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) are any
indication. An abysmal 5% of sexual harassment cases decided in Maharashtra last year resulted in the
accused being convicted, way below the all-India average of 52 %. In the case of the Amboli boys, some
men allegedly passed lewd comments about their women friends near a paan stall, which led to an
altercation that finally led to Keenan and Reuben being knifed. Women it seems are forced to live with
catcalls as a way of life, said lawyers and activists who work with women victims. They said that lodging a
police complaint itself is often a Herculean task for those in distress. The road to conviction is long and
winding, given a variety of factors, like police apathy, social stigma, an overburdened judicial system,
concerns for the safety of witnesses and victims and tiresome procedures that see victims giving up halfway. A senior Maharashtra police officer also said that better forensics and police-prosecutor links would
help. Finally, some experts expressed scepticism about the high conviction rates in other states and the
all-India average. They said maybe other cases, like rape, were listed under sexual harassment,
definitions for crimes differed or even that figures were fudged. Cases of sexual harassment, which
include eve-teasing on the streets, are filed under Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code, where the
accused is booked for uttering a word or committing a gesture or act that insults the modesty of a woman.
The state's conviction rate for sexual harassment cases decided in 2010 pales when compared to the
rates in states like Uttar Pradesh (76%), Punjab (52%) or Kerala (30%), according to the NCRB.
Interestingly, Maharashtra saw the second-highest number of FIRs filed for sexual harassment in 2010.
Andhra Pradesh had 4,562 FIRs, while Mahrashtra had 1,180. In Mumbai alone, 138 FIRs were filed.
However activists said this was no indication of actual instances, as most cases are not reported.
Incidentally, AP's conviction rate in 2010 was way ahead of Maharashtra's at 35%."The fact that 1,180
women in Maharashtra suffered eve teasing is itself a very high number. Many cases go unreported and
the real numbers are much higher," said Sonya Gill of the All India Democratic Women's Association.
"The incidence of eve teasing and sexual harassment is happening more frequently, but such crimes will
not be dealt with unless the state sets up a mechanism to tackle these crimes in a better manner.'Both
societal and systemic reasons are to blame for the poor reporting as well as conviction rates. In the
Amboli case, it took the friends of the victims over a fortnight to decide to mention eve teasing in their
witness statements given to the D N Nagar police. Mihir Desai, of the voluntary organisation India Centre
for Human Rights and Law, one of the experts sceptical about other states outdoing Maharashtra by such
a huge margin, said concerns at various level need addressing. "Recording and conviction of crimes such
as eve teasing depends on how sensitive the police are to such incidents. What is perceived as eve
teasing by a woman may not be recorded if the policeman doesn't perceive it as such," he said. Advocate
Flavia Agnes, who works closely with women victims of violence, said the process of fighting sexual
harassment is daunting and victims often give up the fight midway. She recalled how two women who
were molested outside a Juhu five-star hotel on New Year's eve in 2007 preferred to drop the charges.
"The case could take one to two years to conclude and there is often great difficulty in producing
evidence. The public too doesn't come forward to become witnesses," pointed out Agnes. The state
government is waking up to the reality of poor convictions. A committee was set up under the joint
secretary, home department, in May to look into the overall trend of few convictions in the state. They
studied other states, such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, to understand why
their conviction rates were more impressive. "There were several factors in other states which aided
better conviction rates. For instance, there was better forensic infrastructure and more liaisons between
public prosecutors and the police," said J Supekar of the state CID (crime), who was part of the fivemember committee. Judicial pendency in Maharashtra too is higher than many other states, which means
cases drags on for years.(Times of India 9/11/11)
'Need to eradicate caste, dowry systems for women empowerment' (8)
New Delhi, Nov 10 : Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has said gender equality and women
empowerment can be achieved only by eradicating the caste system and dowry system. "I firmly believe
that gender equality and women empowerment can be achieved only when we are able to address two
major social issues-- the caste system and the dowry system. The deep rooted caste system in addition
to being the genesis of grave social biases, is also the root cause of honour killings," Ms Kumar said
yesterday while delivering 17th Justice Sunanda Bhandare Memorial Lecture on 'Breaking the glass
ceiling: Barriers in the journey of women empowerment'. She said staunch proponents of caste system
were opposed to any dilution of this rigid system through inter-caste marriages. Any marriage outside the
caste was perceived by them as a rebellion which has to be quelled even by killing those who marry and
was justified on the basis of the "honour" of their caste. "This practice must be condemned. Women
should be free to decide the course of their future. Similarly the dowry system must be eradicated on
priority. This system has led to the girl child being considered a liability from the day she is born," the Lok
Sabha Speaker said. She stated that it has resulted in female foeticide, female infanticide, neglect and
discrimination against the girl child. The adverse sex ratio in the country was a consequence of the widely
prevalent dowry system. It has led to the denial of decent existence to women, hampered opportunities
and impeded them from realising their full potential. It was incumbent upon the people as responsible
citizens to be agents of change and play a proactive role in creating a level playing field for the women of
the country. (New Kerala 10/11/11)
‘Varied factors continue to hamper gender equality' (8)
New Delhi: Noting that a great divide exists between the de jure and de facto status of women in our
country, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar has said socio-cultural norms, traditional practices and
prejudices continue to hamper gender equality. Delivering the 17 {+t} {+h} Justice Sunanda Bhandare
Memorial Lecture on “Breaking the glass ceiling: Barriers to women's empowerment” here, Ms. Kumar
said access to developmental benefits remains conditioned by prevailing social attitudes towards women.
“Prejudices against women can be seen from their low literacy rate. The gap between the male literacy
rate of 82.14 per cent and the female literacy rate of 65.46 per cent is about 17 per cent. Labour markets
in industry and service sectors also are male-dominated.” Ms. Kumar said it was a matter of grave
concern that even in this age of globalisation primary production activities such as manufacturing and
construction remain largely the domain of men. “Women continue to lag behind in level and quality
entrepreneurship and employment due to a lack of skill, capacity building, education and training
opportunities, technological and financial support.” Noting that gender equality and women empowerment
can be achieved only if we address the caste system and the dowry system, Ms. Kumar said the deeprooted caste system in addition to being the genesis of grave social biases was also the root cause of
honour killing. “Staunch proponents of caste system are opposed to dilution of this rigid system through
inter-caste marriages. Any marriage outside the caste is perceived by them as a rebellion which has to be
quelled even by killing those who marry and is justified on the basis of the honour of their caste. This
practice must be condemned. Women should be free to decide the course of their future.” Appreciating
the fact that the Justice Sunanda Bhandare Foundation has been organising meaningful functions with
emphasis on subjects relating to women and children, Supreme Court Judge P. Sathasivam, who was
guest of honour, said the late Justice Sunanda Bhandare sought to remove the many prejudices and
biases against women and working towards promoting their freedom of choice and the right to excel
without fear or favour. “After her untimely death in 1994, the Foundation was instituted as an innovative
way to fulfil her dreams by conducting annual memorial lectures on women and child issues.” (The Hindu
11/11/11)
'Brutalities against women on the rise in conflict zones' (8)
BHUBANESWAR: Women in Odisha are facing the brunt of militarization and industrialization in different
conflict zones of the state, said members of Women against Sexual Violence and State Repression
(WSS), a group of activists from across the country. A fact-finding team of WSS visited Gajapati,
Kalahandi and Rayagada, where people are in direct conflict with the state and security forces. Women in
these areas are being subjected to brutalities like rape and sexual violence. But these cases are rarely
reported, they said. "From preliminary findings, we come to this conclusion that sexual violence against
women has become a regular feature and a means of state repression in the conflict zones," said Indira
Chakraborty, a member of the WSS team. Chakraborty, who visited Kalahandi and Rayagada districts,
said, "People are living in an atmosphere of terror and trauma in these regions. Huge deployment of
CRPF and BSF has several direct and indirect impact on locals. While men ran away from villages fearing
arrest by the forces branding them as Maoists, women were at the receiving end." She said, at least 10
cases of gang rape were reported to them by villagers in about a dozen villages they visited in Rayagada
and Niyamgiri. "The security forces misbehave with women and enter their houses in the name of
conducting a search and then molest and rape them. Villagers said they prefer to maintain silence in such
cases as the police say they are helpless. Sometimes they are also party to it." Chakraborty cited an
incident in Khurika village in Lanjigarh area where a minor girl was allegedly gang raped by security
forces and dumped in the forest. But the victim's family was so traumatized that they neither reported the
matter to the police nor spoke about it. The team also found that police and state administration are
working as agents of big corporate houses where industrialization is going on. The corporates are not
only harassing locals by denying them jobs as labourers in the factories but also arresting them by
branding them as thieves. Rinchin, a member of WSS team, who had visited Gajapati area, said, they
were detained by the police for routine verification. "Police described the region as disturbed and imposed
restriction on people from outside. They don't allow us to speak to the people which will keep many real
stories untold," she said. The WSS team also visited Posco in Jagatsinghpur district where they found
people in the conflict areas deprived of basic services like health. (Times of India 13/11/11)
Average one woman facing violence in Srinagar (8)
Srinagar, Nov 13 : At an average of a day, one woman is facing physical or mental violence in Srinagar. A
woman police officer, who is heading the only women police station in Srinagar, said about 300 cases of
violence against women were reported this year so far. Rambagh police station on Srinagar-Airport road
is receiving complaints from women, not only from Srinagar and its adjourning areas but from the central
and north Kashmir, its Station House officer (SHO) Gulshan Akhtar said. However, she made it clear that
though it is an all women police station, male members can also seek the assistance of the police station.
She said misunderstanding between husband and wife was the main reason in most of the cases which
later resulted in violence. "We normally call both husband and wife to police station and listen to their
grievances against each other," she said adding, "We later try to help them for compromise." She said in
some cases, "We find complaints against mother-in-law also, who too are also called to police station to
help them clear the misunderstanding." (New Kerala 14/11/11)
Only 610 harassment cases lodged this year (8)
Attacks on Mumbai women are growing in frequency and violence, but this disturbing trend is not
reflected in the data collected by the city police. In the ten months since the start of 2011, only 610
complaints of molestation have been lodged in the whole of Mumbai; that's an average of barely two
cases a day. While activists say that the word 'eve-teasing ' itself has become a misnomer and fails to
convey the violent nature of crimes against women in public places be it on platforms, trains, streets and
even college campuses, the police say that they are shackled by the victim's unwillingness to lodge an
official complaint. The victim's lack of faith in the men in khaki, helplessness, embarrassment and fear,
moral policing and above all a feeling that they themselves have courted the attack in some way, are just
some of the reasons why women are loath to approach the authorities. A similar trend was observed even
last year, as only 607 complaints of eve-teasing were lodged in 2010. In 2009, the total number of
complaints stood at 496. Under pressure from the public and the state, the police have introduced a slew
of measures to help reclaim the 'safe' tag that Mumbai enjoyed until recently. Citizens have also called for
a stronger police presence in public places so that the accused can be identified and brought to book
immediately. Additional commissioner of police (west region) Vishwas Nagre-Patil said, "We have started
taking suomotu action against offenders, and have also deployed women constables in plainclothes near
colleges and crowded places." Under the law, an accused can be booked under Sections 509 (intended
insults to modesty of a woman) and 354 (outraging modesty) of the IPC, which are bailable offences. The
low conviction rate is another deterrent. To counter claims of insensitivity, the police have decided to
install complaint boxes in college campuses so that students can lodge complaints while protecting their
identity at the same time. Parvin Vasisht, a school teacher from Vile Parle (E) said that girls shy away
from lodging complaints for fear of retribution from miscreants. "And often, the girls face censure from
their own family. When a girl who has been a victim of harassment confides in her parents , they start
restricting her freedom by monitoring her social life, insisting that she follow a dress code, and so on."
Only sustained vigilance on the part of the police will help make the city a safer place for women. But
activists say that society, too, must change its attitude towards sexual harassment. "Women should not
be afraid of taking a stand against their attacker. The public should come to the aid of a woman in trouble
immediately, and most importantly victims should not be judged," said a professional who relies on public
transport to commute to work. (Times of India 15/11/11)
UP topped crime rate in 2010, MP saw most rapes, says NCRB report (8)
Violence against women New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh topped the crime rate in the country in 2010,
according to latest statistics released by the National Crime Record Bureau. The state registered 33.9%
of the crime reported in 2010, followed by Andhra Pradesh (12%) and Tamil Nadu (10.4%), according to
the NCRB report for 2010. Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of rapes while Andhra Pradesh
registered highest number of crime against women, which included molestation and sexual harassment. A
total of 67,50,748 cognizable crimes comprising 22,24,831 Indian Penal Code crimes and 45,25,917
Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes were reported in 2010, showing an increase of 1.11% over 2009. In
2010, IPC crime rate increased by 3.4% over 2009 while SLL crime rate decreased by 2% over 2009,
according to the report. Uttar Pradesh also reported highest number of violent crime although the rate
remained static at 10.9% since 2009. The highest rate of violent crimes was reported from Manipur (34.5)
followed by J&K (34.2), Kerala (33.6), Assam (33.5) and Delhi (30.4) — as compared to 20.4 across the
country. According to the NCRB report, Dhanbad, Chennai, Madurai and Kolkata were the only cities
which reported less rate of IPC crimes than their states. Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore accounted for
12.5%, 9.2% and 8.7% respectively of the total IPC crimes reported from 35 cities across the country.
(Financial Express 16/11/11)
Only 697 girls for every 1,000 boys in Cidco URBAN HUBS Z(8)
MUMBAI: It may be a planned hub, but the results of a recent survey show that Navi Mumbai may
possibly have an alarmingly low child sex ratio. For every 1,000 boys under the age of six, Navi Mumbai's
12 nodes have, on an average, only 697 girls. The new figure is mentioned in the latest economic survey
of Navi Mumbai brought out by its planning authority, City and Industrial Development Corporation of
Maharashtra (Cidco), which oversees planning in Airoli, Ghansoli, Koparkhairane, Vashi, Sanpada, Nerul,
CBD Belapur, Kharghar, Kalamboli , Jui Kamothe, New Panvel and Dronagiri. Considering that these
areas are largely urban, experts said that such a low child-sex ratio may point to society's acceptance of
female foeticide,and argued that rapid urbanization and access to diagnostic facilities has resulted in
missing girl children. "The child sex ratio has reduced from 745 females per thousand males in a 2005
survey to 697 females per 1,000 males in 2010," said the socioeconomic household survey. When TOI
pointed out the shockingly low ratio, Cidco officials refused to elaborate on the survey's methodology or
the sample size. "Our sample size was small and we haven't taken migration as a factor while calculating
the figures," said an official. The provisional census 2011 findings, however, are not so alarming: They
estimated that there were 901 girls per 1,000 boys in the areas falling under the Navi Mumbai Municipal
Corporation (NMMC), from Airoli to Belapur. In Thane district, figures have dropped from 915 in the 2001
census to 905 in the 2011 census in urban areas while for Raigad, from 914 to 903. In rural areas of
Thane, the figures have dipped from 966 to 953, and Raigad, from 946 to 937. Given the disparity in the
census data and Cidco's survey, experts said the development corporation should release the sample
size of the population surveyed, income groups and even their methodology. Anita Roy, an
anaesthesiologist who works with gynaecologists , said, "If the survey's results are true, it's pathetic and
shameful. As one who has worked in hospitals under BMC and NMMC, I know that public hospitals don't
perform sex-determination tests, but there could be unscrupulous elements who could be indulging in
such illegal practices." Another doctor said, "The imbalance in the ratio means that somewhere in the
chain, females are not allowed to be born." Doctors in government departments, too, said the misuse of
sonography machines to determine the sex of the foetus and thereafter terminate the pregnancy could be
the reason for the skewed child sex ratio. A Cidco source said, "Urbanization has had a negative impact
on the health of the female child. The illegal use of high-tech machines and equipment has led to more
boys being born in society." Deepak Paropkari, medical health department of NMMC, recently sealed 18
sonography machines and suspended 14 registration centres . "We are soon going to file a case to
prosecute the offenders under the PNDT (Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques) Act. We have taken a very
serious view of the offences and will not spare anyone guilty of not maintaining their records as required
under the law," said Paropkari. Civil surgeon of Raigad district, R K Nitturkar, told TOI that four diagnostic
centres in Panvel have been closed with an equal number of machines sealed for lack of proper records.
The F-formwhich must include a pregnant woman's medical and other relevant details-has 19 columns,
but according to Nitturkar , there have been cases where columns have conveniently not been filled.
Uday Thanawalla, a wellknown Vashi-based gynaecologist , said, "The MTP (Medical Termination of
Pregnancy) Act allows for abortion in certain conditions , but if people are subverting the law and using
sonography machines to inform parents about the sex of the child, the authorities have to take strict
action." He added that there have been cases where sex determination was done at some centre and the
abortion at another unauthorized place. Times View Health activists believe that every day, 1,600 girls
who should have been born in India aren't allowed to. This seems far from an exaggeration when one
considers that Maharashtra's child sex ratio stands at 883 girls for every 1,000 boys under the age of six.
The missing girl is indeed one of the biggest public health problems in the country today. While the law
has been in place for almost a decade, convictions have been low. This is an indication of a lack of
political and administrative will to tackle the problem head-on .l (Times of India 17/11/11)
From today, report sexual harassment online (8)
Zero Tolerance campaign launches online initiative that will help the police identify problem areas across
the city. The online initiative, which goes live today, is part of the Zero Tolerance Against Sexual
Harassment campaign that was launched by youth activists following the murders of Reuben Fernandez
and Keenan Santos in Amboli in October. The online initiative helps citizens identify areas that are not
safe for women. The website shows a map of the city, which is basically a facility that allows you to report
a case of sexual harassment in any part of Mumbai. To report a case on the website, one has to click on
the location on the map. The website administrators will compile the data, which will be forwarded to the
police. The idea is a brainchild of Shemeer P, an online activist and a farmer. Sagar Bekal, one of the
campaign co-ordinators, said: “After we launched the Zero Tolerance campaign, we learnt about
Shemeer’s idea, which tracks cases of violence against women. We contacted him and he was gracious
enough to extend the concept to track cases of sexual harassment on maps.” The online initiative will be
monitored by administrators who verify the entry and allow it to be seen by others. The website
administrators ran a few test drives as well. Zero Tolerance co-ordinator Ruben Mascarhenas said,
“Citizens will be able to report sexual harassment cases as well as the location where they took place, on
the website. Once a particular spot is clicked a number of times, we will know that the area is notorious
(for sexual harassment). The goal is to identify such spots. The data will be shared with Mumbai Police.”
Mascarenhas said police beat marshals have their hands full with the rising street crimes, and such
concepts will make things easier for the cops; and the city safer for women. “Cops have to rely on
complaints from women to act against molesters. With this initiative, the police will be armed with data to
nail the culprits.” Santos and Fernandez were stabbed on October 20 outside a restaurant in Amboli on
October 20 by some goons who had harassed their women friends. Santos died soon after the incident
while Fernandez died a few days later. (Mumbai Mirror 18/11/11)
Policy on safety of women and girls soon (8)
KOCHI: The four-member committee set up by the state government for Nirbhaya, a programme for the
protection and rehabilitation of minor girls and women in Kerala, will submit the recommendations for the
policy on safety of women next month. The draft of the recommendations will be posted on the internet
this week, giving an opportunity for the public, social activists and representatives of NGOs to express
their comments, suggestions and opinions. Simultaneously, regional workshops will be organized across
Kerala to sensitize people associated with women and child welfare. Various programmes will be held to
create awareness among the public regarding sexual abuse of children. The recommendations include
the implementation of a helpline which can be activated from both landlines and mobile phones, a facility
which is yet to come into operation in the state even though there has been umpteen number of sexual
abuse cases against minor children and women for the past couple of years. The committee which was
formed in August with poet and social activist Sugatha Kumari as chairperson, has dancer Mallika
Sarabhai, activist Sunitha Krishnan and Lida Jacob, former director of public instruction, as members, and
bureaucrat Sarada Muralidharan as convener. Some of the major points highlighted in the policy are the
setting up of fast track courts to speed up disposal of sexual harassment cases, a safe centre to offer
medical help, counselling, legal protection and awareness programmes for girls, and a special police
squad to check sexual harassment and trafficking of women. "We do not want Nirbhaya to replicate what
the Women's Commission is doing now. What we need is to strengthen preventive measures to ensure
the safety and security of girls and women," says Lida Jacob, member of the committee. "Committees
should be set up at the district and state levels to monitor the activities. People directly involved with
children, like parents and teachers should be educated to create awareness among children about sexual
abuse," she says. The committee also wants the government to improve the counseling scene, and will
urge universities and colleges to start new courses in counselling that focus mainly on the management
of sexual abuse problems. (Times of India 18/11/11)
Harassment of women to be made non-bailable (8)
HYDERABAD, November 20, 2011: The State government has decided to make Section 509 of the
Indian Penal Code a non-bailable case to ensure stringent punishment to those indulging in harassment
of women. A proposal sent in this regard by the government seeking amendment to Section 509 received
the Centre's nod, according to Home Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy. The Home Minister reviewed the
action taken in respect of atrocities against women, eve-teasing and other issues with senior officials on
Saturday. DGP Dinesh Reddy, Home Secretary P. Gautam Kumar and other senior officials were present.
The meeting decided to set up a special court to deal with dowry harassment cases as the existing court
was found inadequate to deal with the cases and award punishments to the guilty. It was decided to
nominate mandal development officers to investigate into cases of dowry harassment. A special court will
also be set up to deal with cases relating to domestic violence and human trafficking. (The Hindu
20/11/11)
Women’s Commission holds mega adalat (8)
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, November 26, 2011: Domestic abuse was the predominant issue in the
‘mega adalat’ held by the Kerala State Women’s Commission at Vanchiyoor Government High School on
Saturday. The adalat also dealt with a wide range of issues including land and property disputes,
harassment, assault and abandonment. Out of the 217 cases that were taken up at the ‘mega adalat’, 57
cases were closed and about 81 have been deferred to the next adalat. Parties of as many as 79 cases
were absent and about 12 cases were referred to the district police for further action. They included cases
of assaults and threats to women. Rekha Pratap, joint secretary of the residents association of Heera
Dale Apartments Jagathy had filed a complaint against a resident for harassment. She had also lodged a
complaint against him at the Museum Police Station. He had allegedly threatened her and other women
residents. The adalat instructed her to file a mass petition at the Women’s Commission. “The residents
are too scared to make a complaint against him,” Ms. Pratap said. Another case against a goonda and
five others for attacking Neyyatinkara residents Nisa and her sister was taken up, but not closed because
the other parties were not present. Noushad, brother of Nisa said that four houses were attacked and
vehicles were destroyed in addition to assaults on the women. “Only one had been arrested and the
others went into hiding,” he said. Director of the Women’s Commission N. Ramachandran said the adalats
were also a platform to spread legal awareness among the hapless victims. “Lack of awareness is an
important issue. For instance, women do not know about the law that the husband cannot sell their house
without the full consent of his wife even if the property is in his name,” he said. Mr. Ramachandran said
that the adalat also gave instructions to the police about the cases which have also been registered at the
district police stations. There was a monitoring cell to keep track of the developments in such cases. The
hearings were conducted by advocates Anita Sudhir, Anita Aji, Radha Krishnan, Sreeja Tulasi, Suprabha,
Sai Kumar, Padmini Rose, and Rajeshwari and N. Ramachandran. (The Hindu 26/11/11)
Girl commits suicide due to dowry demand (8)
MADURAI: A recently married teenage girl committed suicide allegedly due to dowry harassment near
Madurai. Police said the girl resorted to the extreme step after her husband and mother-in-law allegedly
demanded a sum of Rs one lakh as dowry. The girl, who was admitted to the government hospital with
severe burns after she doused kerosene and set herself afire died after treatment failed late on Thursday
night. The girl's father, Nallakannu has lodged a complaint alleging that it was dowry harassment that
forced his daughter to commit suicide. Ranjani (18) of Allikundam near Sedapatti was married three
months ago to a 23-year-old youth, Pandi from Kodanginayakanpatti. Pandi and his mother Veerammal
had allegedly been harassing Ranjini for dowry. They also insisted on Ranjani leaving the house
immediately and returning with the money. An upset Ranjani set herself on fire when her husband and
mother-in-law were away. Neighbours rushed into the house hearing her cries and took her to the
government hospital. But Ranjani had suffered severe burns and her organs failed to respond to
treatment. (Times of India 26/11/11)
HC relief to husband accused of unnatural sex by woman (8)
New Delhi, November 26, 2011: In a first-of-its-kind case, the Delhi high court has come to the rescue of
a man who faced arrest after his wife accused him of indulging in unnatural sex with her. Hitesh (name
changed), a resident of Jor Bagh in the Capital, got into trouble after a lower court in an unusual order,
while hearing a dowry harassment case filed by his wife, asked the police to book him under Section 377
of the Indian Penal Code, after she alleged that he tortured her sexually and indulged in unnatural sexual
acts. Section 377 prescribes punishment for indulging in sexual activity against the order of nature. If
proved, the offense attracts a punishment of up to 10 years in jail. Interestingly, in the FIR, the police had
booked him only under sections 498 A (dowry harassment) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) of the IPC.
On a petition filed by Hitesh’s counsel Prabhjit Jauhar, the high court had last week asked the police not
to arrest Hitesh till January 18, 2012, the next date of hearing, after he and his wife Sonam (name
changed) expressed desire to compromise the dowry harassment case during which the complaint of
unnatural sex was raised by her. Jauhar questioned how the husband could be booked for indulging in
unnatural sexual act in the absence of medical evidence. (Hindustan Times 26/11/11)
Crime against women up in state (8)
PATNA: With the fall in number of major crimes like murder and kidnap, the NDA government in Bihar can
continue to boast of its strongest USP. But stats reveal there has been an increase in dowry-related
deaths and abductions of teenaged girls during the "good governance". "Police have been made more
efficient, friendly and accountable than before and this has led to improvement in crime control and
investigation," said the report card - 2011 which was released by chief minister Nitish Kumar last week.
The report card has also given comparative crime stats from 2001 to September 2011. In 2004, the
reported cases of murder went up to 3,861 which showed a declining trend from 2005 onwards and came
down to 2,465 in the first nine months of current year. The incidents of kidnapping for ransom have come
down from 411 to 42 during the same period. The number of cases of dacoity, theft, road hold-ups and
bank heists has also fallen down. Though the report card does not refer to crime against women, social
worker Shiv Prakash Rai procured the related statistics from the crime investigation department of the
state police through an RTI application. If 1,009 dowry deaths and 756 incidents of eves kidnapping were
reported in 2004, the figure increased to 1,856 dowry deaths and 1,307 kidnappings in 2010. DGP
Abhayanand, however, said dowry-related cases are "a social problem, not organized crime" and there
are social factors behind low rate of conviction in such cases. "The perpetrators of this crime should also
be punished; this would prove a deterrent to others," he said. About the kidnapping of girls, the DGP said
most of the cases turned out to be those of elopement. "Though parents know about the elopement, they
report 'kidnapping of minor' to police. Under the law, police have to register the case on the basis of the
statement of parents," he said. (Times of India 29/11/11)
Prevention of female foeticide in India (8)
New Delhi, Nov 29 : The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has adopted a multi-pronged strategy to
check female foeticide, which includes legislative measures, awareness generation as well as
programmes for socio-economic empowerment of women. The steps taken by the government to prevent
female foeticide under the Pre conception and Pre natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex
Selection) Act, 1994, PC and PNDT Act include the following: · Reconstitution of statutory bodies under
the Act and regular meetings of the Central Supervisory Board, State Supervisory Board and Advisory
Committees to monitor effective implementation of the law. · Rule 11(2) of the PC and PNDT Rules, 1996
has been amended to provide for confiscation of unregistered machines and further punishment of
organizations which fail to register themselves under the Act. · Dedicated PNDT cells have been set up at
State/district level for enhancing in-house capacities for building credible cases for conviction against
violations of the Act. · Surprise field inspections of ultrasound clinics by the National Inspection and
Monitoring Committee (NIMC) in states/UTs against violations under the Act. · NIMC has been further
empowered to oversee follow-up action by Appropriate Authorities against organizations found guilty of
violations under the Act during inspections. · Sensitization and training programme have been conducted
for law enforcers, medical practitioners, judiciary etc. for effective implementation of the Act. ·
Comprehensive Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities including mass media
awareness campaign through print and electronic media and community mobilization through NonGovernmental Organizations have also been undertaken. This information was laid by Union Minister of
Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad in Rajya Sabha today. (New Kerala 29/11/11)
Why aren't laws that protect women helping them? (8)
Bangalore, December 1, 2011: It is time to review the extent to which all the landmark laws enacted to
protect women are being implemented on the ground, said Suresh Hosbet, the former judge of the
Bombay High Court. Addressing the national convention on crimes against women, organised by the AllIndia Mahila Samskruthika Sanghatane (AIMSS), he said dowry, sexual harassment and other violations
continue despite strong laws. The anti-dowry law was implemented in 1961, but prosecutions remain
abysmally low to this day, he said. The landmark legislation against domestic violence is poorly
implemented in most States because they had failed to set up an adequate apparatus to make it
functional, he said, adding that it was time to do a judicial review of its implementation. Malay Sengupta,
former Chief Justice of the Sikkim High Court, said the fruits of several laws, hard won after long battles
by women, were not reaching them. He underlined the need for a greater legal awareness among women
so that they could exercise their rights. The convention passed a resolution expressing deep anguish
against increasing violence against women, both on account of gender and the present socio-political
system of increasing inequalities. The National Crime Records Bureau, it said, recorded 2,15,585 cases
of crimes against women in 2010. The two-day seminar ended with a performance on the theme of dowry
deaths by Mallika Sarabhai, activist and classical dancer from Ahmedabad, and other cultural
programmes. Speaking before the performance, Ms. Sarabhai said unless courts delivered judgments
faster, rapists and men committing crime against women would not realise how heinous their acts were.
Inordinate judicial delay, she said, was making the situation worse for women. She said women continued
to suffer because they felt apologetic about being women. She urged women to fight this deep-rooted
mindset and speak up for their rights. (The Hindu 1/12/11)
60 % women in jail convicted of murders (8)
INDORE: Almost 60 percent of the women convicts serving sentences in Indore district jail are convicted
for murder. The fact came to light on studying the sentences of 110 women imprisoned in the district jail.
Jail Superintendent Dinesh Nagware, "Few women are co-accused in the murder cases along with the
male members of their families." Women convicts from tribal areas are however serving sentences for
different crimes. Most of the tribal women imprisoned are charged with murder other than dowry.
Incidentally, of the 110 women convicts, 26 murder convicts hail from Indore. Documents in possession of
TOI reveals that 66 out of a total of 110 women in prison are imprisoned under section 302 of Indian
Panel Code (IPC) for murder. In all 22 women inmates are booked under section which refers to similar
crime as mentioned above including section 498 (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting
her to cruelty), 307 (attempt to murder) and section 34 (criminal acts done by several persons in
furtherance of common intention). The age factor of the convicts also gives an interesting insight into the
nature of crime pattern. As many as 33 women are more than 50-year-old in the jail of which 21 women in
this age group are punished under section 302. Interestingly, 10 women over 60-year-old age are
imprisoned in jail of which eight are serving the life imprisonment. Two women in the age group of 68years are serving lifer under section 302. Meera, wife of Kalu is the resident of Lonsara village in Barwani
district. She is in the district jail since December 12, 2003 and is imprisoned in barrack number 1 of
district jail. While, the other Nabibai wife of Khemaji resident of Toki in Dhar district was imprisoned in
2009. (Times of India 2/12/11)
Surat NGO takes up issue of sexual harassment (8)
Surat: To spread awareness about rising crimes against women and girls, a Surat-based NGO is going to
make two documentary films. One film will provide tips to girls showing how to avoid sexual harassment,
while the other will focus on the care that parents have to take. Both films will be shot in Surat. The films 20 minutes and 40 minutes in duration - will be prepared by Apradh Nivaran Samithi (ANS) of Surat. The
20-minute film will focus on methods of preventing sexual harassment. It will feature interviews of NGOs
and experts, who will reveal how sexual harassment takes place, what leads to it and how to prevent
such incidents. The second film will focus on alerting parents and people related to a victim of such
harassment. For instance, the film will show how a girl's abduction and rape was foiled, owing to the
alertness of her neighbour and parents. It will also show what happens if this alertness is not exercised.
"We conducted a survey in Surat and found that a majority of girls are sexually harassed by a person who
knows the victim closely. If proper guidance and help is given, girls can prevent such untoward incidents.
Awareness can save lives from getting ruined," Geeta Shroff, president of ANS, said. Shroff added that
both films will also focus on responsibilities of schools, colleges, NGOs as well as the police and judiciary.
A sexually harassed girl can get justice only when all of the above work for the victim's betterment, she
said. ANS is taking help from experts to make the films effective and precise. Both films will be shown at
schools, anganwadis, colleges and other workplaces. (DNA 2/11/11)
'56% women physically abused in Bihar' (8)
PATNA: Bihar trails several states in terms of various development indices, but when it comes to violence
against women, it is among the leading states. Experts working on women development in Bihar on
Friday said: "Bihar is one of the leading states in India when it comes to physical or sexual violence
against women." Speaking at a state-level seminar on "Violence Against Women" here on Friday, Women
Development Corporation (WDC), Bihar, MD Vandana Kinni said: "A total of 56% of women, aged 15 to
49, are subjected to physical or sexual violence in Bihar against the national figure of 35%."In
coordination with the NGOs, NIDAN and ActionAid, the one-day seminar was organized by the
department of rural studies of Patna University (PU). Speaking to TOI, Kinni said: "Awareness among
people is growing. It has and will play a constructive role in controlling atrocities against women. But still
much needs to be done." A whopping 58% of women in Bihar are already mother when they attain the
age of 19. Among other indices women's work participation is also very low in Bihar. It is just 18.4%, she
added. "WDC has 34 helplines in Bihar. So far, it solved around 8,400 cases of domestic disputes with
mutual agreement of the parties concerned. WDC received around 12,000 such cases during the last
eight years." State Child Rights Protection Commission chairperson Nisha Jha called for more rationality
in relationships. "We should use our mind rather than heart. It can significantly tackle the menace of
violence against women." "Fortnight-long celebrations are being organized internationally to create more
awareness about violence against women. The seminar was a part of it," said head of the personnel
management and industrial relations department, PU, Prabhakar Jha. Bihar labour commissioner
Dhirendra Mohan Jha and PU vice-chancellor Sambhu Nath Singh also talked about exploitation of
women. Singh announced that a full-fledged department for women and gender studies would be created
at PU soon. The seminar hall of PU's personnel management and industrial relations department was on
Friday named after former PU VC Dr G P Sinha. (Times of India 3/12/11)
Freedom of expression denied? (8)
A large group of Bangaloreans intending to voice their opinion against sexual abuse and eventual victim
blaming decided to take to the streets yesterday. However, following strong opposition from some
organisations, the city police revoked the permission, and that too, merely hours before the event. "On
Saturday night, two police officials came to my home with a letter revoking the permission. We were told
that some right wing organisations had threatened to go violent if we carried out the march," said Dhillan
Chandramowli, the chief organiser. Speaking to MiD DAY, Additional Commissioner of Police (Law &
Order) T Suneel Kumar, said, "We have received intelligence inputs that there was a threat to the law and
order situation. Hence, we revoked the permission." A group of volunteers had assembled at the venue to
inform participants about the cancellation of the event. "We were informing the crowd to leave but the
cops caught hold of nine of us and took us to the police station," said Yashasavi Datta, a student of
National Law School. Before detaining them at Sadashiv Nagar police station for two hours, the
volunteers were allegedly taken to five different police stations.The organisers have drawn flak from all
quarters because of the name they had chosen for the event. Many groups have claimed that 'Slut Walk'
has a perceived notion of encouraging women to dress up in skimpy clothes. Sri Ram Sene Chief Pramod
Muthalik said, "I thank the police for taking these people into custody. They are spoiling the culture and
are encouraging women to indulge in obscenity." The group alleged that a Malleshwaram-based NGO
had threatened to beat up women with broomsticks if they strutted around in skimpy outfits. "Few social
activists and members of political outfits called us to find out the nature of our movement. We want to
clarify that the event wasn't about dressing in short skirts, but about victim bashing post a rape case," said
Vikram Hemanathan, a volunteer. He, however, argued that the name wouldn't be changed just to please
certain sensibilities. "We won't change the name for political buttering," Hemanathan said.
Meanwhile, the organisers have urged various groups to take part in a healthy discussion to break the
misconceptions about the event. Protestors claimed over 23,000 rape cases were reported in Bangalore
in 2010, however the conviction rate was a mere 26.6 per cent. The number of cases of sexual abuse
went up by 40 per cent in 2011. "While rape victims walk scot-free, a silent awareness march against
sexual abuse is stopped by the police. This is completely unacceptable," said a volunteer. Mid0Day
5/12/11)
Cops suspended for torturing woman (8)
BEHRAMPORE: Three policemen, including the officer-in-charge of Hariharpara police station, were
suspended after the wife of an accused complained of sexual assault by the trio and three home guards.
The latter were demobilized. "We have suspended Hariharpara police station OC Sandip Sen, ASI Dipak
Das, constable Somenath Shikdar and demobilized three home guards. Inquiry has been started under
additional SP Anappa E," said Murshidabad SP Bharatlal Meena . The woman's husband, who is accused
in a case of violence, is on the run. She alleged that on the night of November 30, the three policemen
and the home guards came to her house in Hariharpara's Tartipur and asked for her husband. When she
said she did not know about his whereabouts, they allegedly verbally abused and physically and sexually
assaulted her. After a round of torture at home, the policemen allegedly picked her up in their van and
kept assaulting her all the way. Once at the police station, she was thrown into the lock-up and another
round of brutal sexual assault followed. "They used filthy language and kept hitting me below the waist. I
passed out and when I came around, I found myself in hospital," the woman said. "What can I do if my
husband does not return home? I want those culprits punished." Her condition is still critical. (Times of
India 6/12/11)
Just a Rs1,000 fine for eve teasers in Bangalore (8)
Bangalore: In most cases though, women who are bold enough to file cases are disappointed with the
result. The Indian Penal Code says: “In cases where the accused molests or insults the modesty of a
woman by way of obscene acts or by means of words, gestures or acts that are intended to insult the
modesty and dignity of a woman, he shall be punished under sections 294 (obscene act must cause
annoyance and the annoyance should be done in a public place and cause mental harassment); 509
(intention to insult the modesty of any woman by uttering any word, making sounds or gestures or by
exhibiting any object, with the intention that such word or such sound be heard, or that such gesture or
object be seen by such a woman, or by intruding upon the privacy of such a woman); or 354 (assault or
criminal force to woman with the intention to outrage her modesty). This offence is considered less
serious than rape.” Ironically, though these laws exist, the offenders are let go easily with either Rs1,000
fine or imprisonment or both. (DNA 8/12/11)
Khar most unsafe for women in western suburbs (8)
MUMBAI: Over the past fortnight, Khar has earned the dubious distinction of being the most unsafe
locality for women in the western suburbs. The Mumbai police, in a special drive to crack down on eveteasing, made a maximum number of preventive arrests of 'Roadside Romeos' from the leafy suburb.
Prime localities of Juhu, Oshiwara, Andheri and Saki Naka followed Khar's lead on the notorious list. Khar
alone accounted for more than 15% of the 556 preventive arrests by the police between November 15
and December 1. More shocking is the fact that the Oshiwara-Andheri belt-close to the spot where two
young men, Keenan Santons and Reuben Fernandez from Amboli, were killed in October for standing up
against a group of eve-teasers-too acounts for nearly 16% of the arrests. On November 14, following the
murders, Satej Patil, minister of state for home, had directed the police to form a special squad in Mumbai
to curb eve-teasing. Amongst the offenders charged, the majority were from Khar (three people under
Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code, and 86 under Section 110 of Bombay Police Act). Under Section
110, an arrested person has to pay a fine of Rs 1,200 to secure his release and avoid being produced
before the court. Partap Dighavkar, deputy commissioner of police, Zone 9, said, "Police officials in
plainclothes keep a constant vigil in crowded areas such as markets, malls, multiplexes and railway
stations. The police have charged several people for passing obscene remarks against young girls and
women." The department even convened a meeting with principals of schools and colleges in the western
suburbs. The educational institutes have been instructed to prominently display the numbers of the
concerned police officials of their areas so that in case of an eve-teasing incident, authorities can
immediately contact the police. Also, to curb eve-teasing in civil areas, the department has pasted the
cellphone numbers of the concerned cops near the lift areas," Dighavkar said. Ramrao Pawar, additional
commissioner of police, North region, said, "Increase in police surveillance in crowded areas and silent
bylanes of societies has delivered good results as it has not only helped curb instances of eve-teasing,
but also put the brakes on other small-time crimes." Despite repeated attempts to contact him, Vishwas
Nagre Patil, additional commissioner of police for the western region, was not available for comment.
According to a study report prepared by the National Crime record Bureau, Maharashtra has the second
highest number of FIRs registered for sexual harassment. Of the 1,180 FIRs filed in the state in 2010,
more 130 were in Mumbai. Speaking on the special drive against eve-teasers, recently home minister R R
Patil had stated that a more stringent law is needed to curb the menace. "The home department has
sought amendment of Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to make eve-teasing and other such
crimes non-bailable offences. The amendment requires the Union government's consent and accordingly
the state government will pursue the issue with the central government," R R Patil told TOI. The section
deals with assault or use of criminal force on women with the intent to outrage their modesty. (Times of
India 8/12/11)
Sexual harassment must cover domestic helps, men: Panel (8)
NEW DELHI: Domestic helps would find it easier to complain against sexual harassment if the
recommendations of a parliamentary panel favouring their inclusion in the proposed 'protection of women
against sexual harassment in workplace' bill are accepted. Dismissing the government's view that there
were "practical difficulties" in implementing the law within the confines of a home, the committee on
Thursday said such excuses could not be used as a shield against complaints. Domestic workers, with
47.5 lakh registered, comprise 30% of the female workforce in the unorganized sector. In another first, the
panel has also suggested that an enabling provision be considered to allow reporting of sexual
harassment of men at the workplace. This follows representations from several men's organizations. The
parliamentary standing committee on HRD tabled its report in Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The report has
suggested involvement of NGOs, police stations and RWAs in helping the aggrieved domestic worker get
justice through the legislation. Incidentally, the National Commission for Women, set up for protection of
women's rights and which works under the ministry of women and child development, has contradicted its
own ministry. NCW officials told the committee that the concerns raised over enforcing the provisions of
the bill within the privacy of the home were "unfounded" as the domestic violence act had "broken this
myth" and extended legal protection into the confines of the home. The committee had received
representations from several domestic workers associations including 5,000 postcards which said
"domestic work is work and domestic workers are workers". The committee has also recommended
change in the definition of an employer to make it more broad-based and to include contractors, homeowners and landlords. Workplace can also include vehicles provided by employers for women to travel to
and fro from work. It has also suggested that the head of a private institution including a company,
hospital or university be specified, as in the case of government institutions. The sexual harassment bill
was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 7, 2010 and was referred to the standing committee on
December 30. It seeks to provide every woman a safe and secure work environment. The committee was
of the view that preventive aspects reflected in the proposed Bill had to be strictly in line with the Supreme
Court guidelines in the Vishaka case and sought the pro-active role of NGOs in implementing the Bill. The
apex court's judgment in the Vishaka case not only defines sexual harassment at the workplace but also
lays down guidelines for its prevention and disciplinary action against erring employees. (Times of India
9/12/11)
FIR against man, in-laws for harassing woman (8)
KANPUR: An FIR has been registered with the Naubasta police on Sunday on the complaint of a woman,
who alleged that her husband and in-laws abused and battered her and threw her out of the house. Nidhi
Agnihotri was reportedly harassed because she had failed to fulfil the demands of her husband
Dharmendra Pathak and in-laws. The victim stated in her complaint that her husband and in-laws recently
asked her to bring Rs 3 lakh in cash. At the time of her wedding, Nidhi's parents, who hail from
Hanspuram in Naubasta, gave dowry worth lakhs, including cash and valuables to Dharmendra Pathak,
son of Rajesh Pathak, a resident of Deen Dayalpuram in Naubasta. The victim alleged that her in-laws
have been harassing her to bring more dowry. Recently, when she turned down the demands, they threw
her out of the house. Initially, the police refused to register her FIR. She approached the court. The court
directed the Naubasta police to lodged an FIR. During initial investigations, the police have learnt that the
victim's husband and his parents were mentally harassing Nidhi. The police said that the accused will be
taken into custody for further investigations. They have been charged under Section 323, 504, 506 and
498A. Elsewhere, in a similar case reported from Colonelganj, one Arti had alleged that she was
subjected to torture and thrown out of her house by her husband Shishunath and in-laws, when she failed
to bring motorcycle and cash from her parents. A case under Section 323, 504, 498 was registered in this
connection with the Colonelganj police, following the orders of the court. (Times of India 12/12/11)
Education dept rejects aid plea for sex abuse victims (8)
MADURAI: Chief educational officer of Madurai S Nagarajamurugan informed the Madurai high court
bench on Monday that S Arokiasamy, the headmaster of Government High School in Podhumbu , who
was suspended for alleged sexual abuse of school girls, "has not committed any unlawful activity while
discharging his official duty but the crime done by him was purely his personal activity." Arokiasamy, was
suspended over allegations that he had misbehaved with the girl students in the school. Upon inquiry,
many students revealed the sexual torture that they had been subjected to over the past two years at the
hands of the headmaster. After an agitation by the parents, Arokiasamy was suspended and he later
surrendered before the court. A petition filed by a victim's parent in the Madurai bench had sought
compensation and a proper investigation into the incident. When the matter came up for hearing on
Monday before Justice K Chandru, a counter affidavit filed by S Nagarajamurugan, the chief education
officer of Madurai said, "The prayer of the petitioner to pay compensation is nothing but rubbing salt on
the wounds of the affected girl students. Further the official respondents are not liable to pay
compensation." "The delinquent S Arokiasamy has not committed any unlawful activity while discharging
his official duty but the crime done by him is purely personal. Moreover, the fact is that the offence against
him has to be established with proper evidence before the criminal court. Any claim of compensation or
payment of compensation is not a remedial measure to remove the scar in the minds of the children," he
added. In his affidavit, he further said the school was now under the education department scanner and
was being monitored and being visited by the officials periodically. "If the situation so demands, we would
definitely take further departmental action as per law and rules," he added. On reading the affidavit filed
by the officer, Justice K Chandru said that the education officer did not know the law. "The law provides
immediate compensation to the victims," he said. (Times of India 13/12/11)
Women avoid travelling by autos at night (8)
KOCHI: Despite there being no complaints, of late, regarding women being harassed by auto drivers,
women who work late night shifts, and weekend revellers prefer other modes of travel to autos. Though
most women agree that attempts at physical assault are rare, snide remarks by drivers make travelling by
autos an unpleasant exercise. "I had my first bad experience when an auto driver who made a pass at
me. And a friend of mine was shocked when the driver of the auto taking her home, handed her a packet
of condoms. However, I wouldn't want to tag all auto drivers in the city as antisocial elements just
because of these two incidents. But unlike Chennai or Bangalore, we believe Kochi is not a safe place for
women to travel after 10 pm. We prefer male friends dropping us at homes rather than opting for a ride
alone in autos," said Keerthana Gopinathan, a PR agency employee. (Times of India 14/12/11)
Dowry raises ugly head in Pune (8)
Pune: It might be hard to digest that while Puneites swear by the legacy of empowered women like
Savitribai Phule and others, even now many hapless women are murdered by their in-laws for failing to
satiate their greed for dowry. As many as 48 married women in their 20s fell prey to the greed of their inlaws following mental and physical harassment over dowry demands in the last 11 months. Most of the
victims who lost their lives left behind young children. According to the city police, seven married women
were murdered during the last 11 months by their husbands and in-laws over dowry demands and
suspicious behaviour, while 41 committed suicide on the same account. There are 198 cases of
harassment filed against husbands and in-laws for dowry demands in 29 police stations attached to the
city police commissionerate, eight incidents of attempts to murder, four incidents of demands for dowry
and 39 incidents due to which married women committed suicide due to dowry harassment in the same
period. Smita Jadhav, inspector in charge of the women’s grievance redressal cell told DNA,“In the 21st
century, the city is witnessing increasing number of dowry deaths. Most of the women are in the age
group of 20 to 30. Till November, 48 married women have fallen prey to dowry demands. Most of them
were educated and belonged to good families.’’ “To overcome this problem, we have 15 counsellors and
this year till November, we have received 12,500 applications of domestic disputes. Now, we are
witnessing a new trend: even husbands and their parents are approaching us, complaining that their
daughters-in-law are harassing them,’’ she added. (DNA 15/12/11)
Chief Minister directs to register FIR in sexual harassment case (8)
Shimla, Dec 14 : Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has taken a serious note of the
complaint of sexual harassment filed by a woman employee against Senior Assistant in CDPO Circle
Rajput Singh in Kangra district. Chief Minister has directed the Principal Secretary, Social Justice and
Empowerment, the Director, Social Justice and Empowerment, the Deputy Commissioner and the
Superintendent of Police, Kangra, to get the matter investigated by registering FIR against the accused
person. He said the State Government had already issued directions to all the heads of the departments
and controlling officers that women employees should be given due respect. He said the State
Government had also directed all its establishments to constitute cells headed by a senior women officer
to check harassment of women at work places and protect interests of working women against any
harassment. He said that the State Government had also constituted State Women Commission to listen
to the complaints relating to atrocities against women besides, a full fledged department of Women and
Child Development is there to cater to the welfare and developmental requirements of women and
children. (UNI) (New Kerala 15/12/11)
Villagers’ way to tackle skewed sex ratio (8)
KAITHAL: At a time when Kaithal has hit the headlines for wrong reasons, two non-descript villages here
have earned a rare distinction by checking the menace of female foeticide, as the number of girls here is
going up remarkably, compared to boys. Kithana and Habbari villages, situated in the rural hub of the
district, have improved the sex ratio to 1,124 and 1,086 girls respectively per 1,000 boys. Besides earning
deputy commissioner's special reward of Rs 1 lakh each, the villages have set a new trend in the maledominated Haryana, if one goes by the campaign here and the people behind it, sources said. In Kithana,
the main protagonist is Kasturi Devi, a septuagenarian former sarpanch, who is mother of seven
daughters. Her son Krishan Kumar had started the campaign in 2007. "Only a person like me could feel
the pain of a woman, who is faced with problems caused by society and people, for not bearing a baby
boy. Hence, we decided to take this as a challenge. We came out with slogans like Jiske Ghar Jaami
Larhki, 500 Rupya Lo Tadki (The house where a baby girl is born, take Rs 500 next morning). Our
families have woken up to this idea and it has worked out well,'' said Kasturi Devi. The village has a
population of 12,000. Joining her was her son Krishan, who elaborated on the role of Asha workers and
health department, who chipped in to intensify the campaign. Krishan was among those honored by Mona
A Sriniwas, Kaithal deputy commissioner on Friday. "After my mother, the next and incumbent sarpanch
Mahima Devi also joined the campaign. The results are before you," Krishan said. Dr Kapil, medical
officer with village public health centre (PHC), said, "I applied a different kind of approach. I heard the
patients talking at PHC about their unmarried sons. I asked them to think it over why their young earning
sons remain unmarried. This way, I felt the pulse of people. At last, people came forward in support of the
campaign." In Habri village, the village primary health centre (PHC) and Panchayat have launched a joint
campaign. Various programmes to honor girls were being organized here at the panchayat level since
2007. A number of rallies were also organized in the village. Sarpanch Satpal Singh said, "I am proud to
be the sarpanch of the village, which has been honored for having an ideal sex ratio." (Times of India
18/12/11)
Despite recent attacks, women say city safer than other metros (8)
The recent surge in crimes against women is in glaring contrast to Mumbai's reputation as one of the
safest cities in India. Over and above, elderly ladies in the western suburbs increasingly find themselves
the target of fake policemen who rob them of their jewellery under the pretext of safekeeping. Women of
all ages have been attacked during lonely commutes on local trains while young girls are subjected to
revenge attacks and offensive communication. Still, anecdotal evidence suggests that most women see
these as aberrations rather than the norm. This fact is borne out by the results of the Times Of IndiaIMRB Quality Of Life Survey that names Mumbai as one of the safest cities for women in India in the
company of Pune. Like Pune, our city scores an upper-level rating of 3.2 on a scale of 1 to 5 as against
the national capital that rates just 1.7. Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad fall in the middle of the spectrum,
though interestingly, Ahmedabad surges ahead at 3.5. "It is a no-brainer. One would rather live and work
in Mumbai than say, New Delhi, where rape and molestation have assumed epidemic proportions. We
may live in the 21st Century, yet girls are carried off in the middle of the street, violated and thrown from
running vehicles," says Mumbai-based Ashwini Kumar, who often works the night shift and travels by the
company transport. "Our company in Mumbai ensures that a woman is not the last to be dropped home.
The cars have GPS tracking systems and the supervisor is a phone call away. It seems safer than
Bangalore and Hyderabad where girls have been attacked on the night drop." Actors Sachin and Supriya
Pilgaonkar have set a simple rule of thumb for their daughter Shriya, an aspiring director whose job does
not fit the 9-5 routine. "If I happen to be travelling alone late at night, I inform them before getting into a
taxi or the train. It is good for somebody to know where you are, either friends or family," Shriya says.
There's no denying, however, that these days, women are more cautious while travelling on Mumbai's
streets-something that was unheard of even five years ago. Some of the attacks-like frequent chain
snatching-are motivated by greed. In fact, Tuesday's report released by the Praja Foundation claimed that
instances of chain snatching rose 35% in a single year. Mumbai may still be safer than many other Indian
cities, but if the attacks continue unchecked, we may lose this badge of honour (Times of India 18/12/11)
Govt is trying to snatch the right to abortion from women: Moghe (8)
Pune: The sentencing of radiologist Dr Mohan Kumar Bandopant Nagne (50) to two years rigorous
imprisonment for conducting sex determination test in his private clinic in Thergaon is the first major
sentence in such a case. Nagne was caught red-handed in a sting operation conducted by activist Kiran
Moghe’s Janwadi Mahila Sanghatan, which has been fighting against the evil of female foeticide for many
years. Partha Sarathi Biswas spoke to Moghe about the significance of the conviction and the present
scenario in the state regarding implementation of the Pre-Conception Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques
(PCPNDT) Act, 1994. How do you view the conviction of Dr Mohan Nagne in view of the alarming status
of sex selection procedures in Maharashtra? The present conviction is important because for the first time
a prison sentence was handed out for carrying out sex selection tests. Although in the past hefty fines
were slapped on radiologists for conducting such tests, no prison sentences were handed out. A clear
and loud message will be sent to those who break the law. This conviction was possible because on our
part we kept on pushing the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to follow up the case. Two
special counsels were appointed by the PCMC to fight the case.Taking all factors into consideration, I can
say that the PCMC was serious about fighting the case. However, the state government and the Pune
Municipal Corporation (PMC) are at times lackadaisical in their approach. Although the appropriate
authorities file a large number of cases against doctors for violation of the PCPNDT Act, yet very few
people are convicted under this Act. What is the reason for this? As I mentioned, the attitude of the
authorities towards pursuing these cases leaves much to be desired. In majority of the cases, the
government lawyer often does not appear to argue the case. The authorities are not really serious about
implementing the law and it shows in their work. For example, in the advisory committee of the PMC, the
Indian Medical Association (IMA) is present as an NGO, which goes contrary to the spirit of the law. Also
in the long run, I can say that there is a direct or indirect nexus between the government and the doctors
involved in conducting the sex determination tests, which prevents proper implementation of the law.
What changes do you want to see in the attitude of the government and society at large to stop the evil of
selective abortion? Over the years, society has developed a distinct preference for a son rather than a
daughter due to various socio-economic reasons. We need to counter the various ills like lavish weddings
and social insecurity to encourage people to give equal importance to the girl child. I am sorry to say but
the present state government is completely misguided when it comes to the implementation of the
PCPNDT Act. Instead of clamping down on the sonography centres, the government is trying to snatch
away the right to abortion from women. This is an infringement on the basic rights of the women and the
government should stop it immediately. (DNA 19/12/11)
Centre fires Maharashtra salvo on women safety in Mumbai (8)
Mumbai: The rising crime against women in the city has alarmed even the central government. The union
home ministry has shot off a missive to the state, pointing out that Mumbai has for long served as a role
model to other metropolises in India and the world in terms of safety of women. The home ministry's data
points out, "The total crime against women in 2011 (up to August) is as high as 906 cases (in Mumbai). It
includes 108 cases of rape, 124 kidnappings, 306 molestations, 178 cases of cruelty by husband and
family, 90 immoral trafficking cases, 93 sexual harassment cases and five dowry deaths." According to
minister of state for home (centre) Jitendra Singh, "The National Crime Records Bureau data indicate that
crimes against women in Mumbai, on an average, has crossed 1,000 cases a year. In 2008, the total
crime cases against women was 1,571, of which 502 related to cruelty inflicted by husband and family
and 436 of molestation. The same statistics for 2009 was pegged at 1,332 — 434 cases of cruelty by
husband and family and 400 of molestation. The records compiled in 2010 show that the total number of
crimes against women was 1,409. Here, too, figure for cases of molestation was highest — at 475,
followed by atrocities by husband and family (312).” A senior secretary in the state home ministry told
DNA, "The study has shown that cases of crime against women, including eve teasing and molestation,
has multiplied in the city in the last three years. A lot them are not even registered as people fear social
stigma, even in urban society." Home ministry sources admit, "Dealing with domestic violence is difficult
as women are often isolated and fight a lonely battle. Round-the-clock policing in light of the current
shortage of manpower is not possible. Awareness and public participation is a must to tackle the
menace." The state, while drawing up additional measures to give more teeth to policing, is working with
various social and NGO working on women-related issues to study factors responsible for the growing
crime against women in the city. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has urged home minister P
Chidambaram to provide special aid to Mumbai. He has argued that most of the manpower and the
machinery is solely being devoted on measures to tackle terrorism around the year. Women MLAs and
MPs cutting across party lines have urged the state government to being about stringent laws to tackle
the issue. An amendment to the current law to make eve-teasing a serious crime is already underway.
(DNA 20/12/11)
Woman files complaint against husband, in-laws (8)
Hassan, December 24, 2011: A woman has lodged a complaint against her husband and in-laws alleging
they had been harassing and abusing her for more dowry. B.C. Anitha (27) from Brahmadevarahalli in
Turuvekere taluk in Tumkur district got married to Ranganath of Hassan in August 2009. The couple has
a one-year-old son. According to the complaint filed with the Hassan Extension Police on Thursday, her
parents gave Rs. 2 lakh in cash, 400 gm of gold jewellery and 2 kg of silver as dowry at the time of the
wedding. Despite this, there had been an unrelenting demand for more dowry, she said. Ms. Anitha has
named seven persons, including her in-laws Janardhanaiah and Yashodhamma; sisters-in-law Pramila
and Roopa; their husbands Gopalaswamy and Padmanabhaiah; and brother-in-law Divakar, besides her
husband. Ranganath works in a private company in Bangalore, where the couple lived. However, Ms.
Anitha was living with her parents for the past four months as she could not bear the torture at her in-laws'
place any more. Ms. Anitha alleged that her in-laws cheated her by hiding that Ranganath was married
earlier and had a child from it. “Now, there is no one to look after my son and me. I had a job in a private
company, which I quit at my in-laws' insistence,” she said. Ms. Anitha, who is a B.Sc., was earning a
salary of Rs. 15,000. She alleged that Ranganath had physically abused her, taken her photographs in
the nude and uploaded them on some porn websites. Ms. Anitha staged a dharna outside her in-laws'
place in Kuvempu Nagar on Thursday. However, none from the in-laws' family came out or spoke to her.
Ms. Anitha demanded that the police act against the accused. (The Hindu 24/12/11)
Call to forge unity to end violence against women (8)
PATNA: Unite to end violence against women. This was the call given at a one-day discussion on
"Violence against women and girl children in perspective of female foeticide", organized here on Sunday
by an NGO, Centre for Women Empowerment (CWE), Bihar. In her welcome speech, Renu Ranjan,
head, PG Centre of Sociology, PU and director of CWE, introduced the theme of the "16 Days of Activism
against Violence against Women and Girl Children", an international campaign celebrated from November
25, International Day Against Violence Against Women, to December 10, International Human Rights
Day, in order to symbolically link violence against women and human rights and to emphasize that such
violence is a violation of human rights. Alka Sinha, Capacity Building Officer, Global Fund to Fight Against
AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM) Programme of Tata Institute of Social Studies (TISS), discussed with
participants the concept of gender, gender roles and gender-based violence in our society with special
focus on female foeticide. Shruti Singh, legal activist, discussed in detail the PNDT Act. Poornima
Shekhar Singh, department of geography, AN College, Patna, discussed various dimensions of violence
prevalent against women in our societyParticipants who were members of Gender Knowledge Centre
(GKC), M M College, included regular students of the college and Outreach Group of GKC also. They
were divided into different groups for discussion on creating a safer world for girl children, how to check
declining sex ratio in society, working against female foeticide and violence against women and girl
children is violation of women's human right. Madhu, Aparna, Jaya, Arti and Alka of CWE worked as
group facilitators. (Times of India 26/12/11)
State ropes in retired ACB, CID officers to fight female foeticide (8)
The state government has asked retired law officers, civil surgeons and officers from the Anti Corruption
Bureau (ACB) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to gather intelligence on doctors who conduct
sex determination tests and perform illegal abortions. The state has formed 4 squads that consist of three
officers each. This is a part of the government's attempt to strengthen their fight against female foeticide.
"These officers have worked extensively in areas where work depends on getting tip-offs, collecting
evidence and laying traps," said Dr Suresh Gupta, who heads the Directorate of Health Services (DHS).
"The officers will use their expertise in catching doctors responsible for the skewed sex ratio in our state."
Each squad comprises a retired law officer, a retired civil surgeon and a retired police officer. "These
officers will now be our foot soldiers in the fight against female feotocide," said Gupta. The state plans to
keep their names a secret, so they can work without being detected. The state government launched its
'save girl child' campaign in June this year to spruce up its fight against female foeticide. The campaign
was launched after the state's sex ration fell to just 832 girls to 1000 boys. The government also launched
a toll free number where people can call with information about doctors conducting illegal sex
determination tests. The civic officials aggressively started conducting raids on sonography centres in the
city and seized machines for not following the rules and regulations under the Pre Conception and Pre
Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) act. This year, the state government officials seized over 350
sonography machines. However only about 130 cases have been filed in the court while the rest are in
process. The special squads will start working from beginning of January. The officers have been put on
the pay roll of the National Rural Health Mission. Their modus operandi will be to identify suspicious
radiology centres across the state, send decoy customers and lay traps to catch the doctors. "Ground
level sources are extremely important to find those who conduct these illegal tests and procedures," said
Gupta. "Many of these centres are located in crowded areas and only a few locals are aware of what
goes on in these centres. Our squads will communicate with locals who have information. The problem is
that many of them are scared to provide tip-offs, and many others just don't know who to approach," said
Gupta. The government is trying to improve the sex ratio in the state in 2012. Ajay Devgan and Kajol have
agreed to popularise the issue, and will be joined by actors Sachin Pilgaonkar and Supriya. The publicity
campaign will be expanded next year. According to girl child activist Varsha Deshpande, the state
decision to form these squads seems to be another attempt to show that they are working. "They have
plenty of money under the NRHM and they are spending it on such squads. I am curious to see how
effectively these squads are going to function as they will not have any statutory power," said Deshpande,
who heads Lek Ladki Abhiyan, an NGO that has been conducting sting operations to stop female
feoticide. (Mumbai Mirror 27/12/11)
Soon, panel for sexual harassment cases at offices (8)
MUMBAI: With complaints regarding sexual harassment at workplaces on the rise, the state has decided
to step in. All corporate houses will soon be asked to set up a complaints' committee to hear matters
related to sexual harassment . At a meeting at Mantralaya on Monday, it was decided to issue orders
specifying this requirement. The committee will be headed by a woman employee . Officials from the
women and child development department and the labour welfare department were present for the
meeting. Ministers Varsha Gaikwad and Hasan Mushrif presided over it. While at least 50% members of
such committees will be women, the government will also insist on the inclusion of a third party (like an
NGO). "The onus will be on the principal employer to ensure creation of such committees," Gaikwad
further said. The government also plans to make it mandatory for corporates with 100 or more female
employees to build creche centers. (Times of India 27/12/11)
Crime against women on the rise in Vijayawada (8)
VIJAYAWADA: The city is turning into a dreaded place with crimes against teenaged girls and women
seeing a rapid increase. In all, 1,699 cases were registered which were directly connected to violence
against women this year. This is almost 50 per cent increase over the previous year as 1,083 cases were
registered in 2010. The cases related to dowry harassment have almost doubled in 2011 when compared
to 2010. While 576 dowry harassment-related cases were registered in 2010, the number rose to 996 this
year. Even cases relating to cheating minor girls in the guise of love and marriage too have gone up. The
reported cases were 29 in 2011 from 17 in 2010. Dowry death and dowry-related murders have
marginally come down to 15 from 19 in the previous year. Expressing anguish over the rise in the crimes
against women, city police commissioner N Madhusudan Reddy promised to take tough action against
the culprits and perpetrators. He expressed satisfaction over the recovery rate. "We have set up special
surveillance teams to nab the chain snatchers particularly during the early hours when the offenders are
targeting morning walkers," he said. He said that 13 special teams were moving around the city in
vantage areas like RTC bus depot, railway station and city bus stops to prevent chain snatching incidents.
With police stepping up vigilance, the house-breaking incidents have come down to 216 from 226 in
2010. About 32 robberies and two dacoitees took place this year, which were slightly higher than the
cases registered in the previous year. As part of the efforts to check eve-teasing, 502 people were taken
into custody by the cops and cases booked against them. (Times of India 28/12/11)
Woman poisoned to death by in-laws for dowry in Karauli (8)
JAIPUR: A man has alleged that his 26-year-old daughter was beaten and poisoned to death by her inlaws for dowry in Gangapur town under Sapotara police station area of Karauli district within six months of
her marriage. Alleging police of negligence and bias, the father, Gopal Agrawal, claimed that though
postmortem report suggested severe injuries on the girl's body, the police have not arrested anyone in the
matter. The family met every police officer - from SHO to inspector general of the range, but nothing has
been done so far. Agrawal alleged that they had registered an FIR against seven members of the girl's
inlaws family, but the police pruned the list of the accused and are investigating against only her husband.
According to Agrawal, a resident of Gangapur city in Sawai Madhopur district, his daughter Sadhna alias
Komal was married to one Pawan Garg, an employee at a dental college in Jaipur on June 14, 2011.
Sadhna had completed MA and B. Ed before marriage. The father claimed that as per the in-laws'
demands, he gave Rs 5 lakh in cash and jewellery worth lakhs of rupees as dowry. "But from day one,
they started demanding Rs 3 lakh cash and a motorcycle," said Agrawal. During a visit to her family after
marriage, Sadhna told her father that her in-laws were harassing her for dowry, the girl's brother Amit
Agrawal, a software engineer in Noida said. He added that his father immediately called up the in-laws
and expressed his inability to pay the dowry and requested them to stop the torture. "However, in the last
week of November my daughter called me several times saying the in-laws were beating her up," said
Gopal Agrawal. He added that on December 1, someone called him and informed him about Sadhna's
death. The caller said she was poisoned. "When we tried to contact the in-laws , their mobiles were
switched off. We came to know that her body was in Gangapur Hospital," said Amit. The family members
then lodged an FIR against seven in-laws with Sapotara police station alleging dowry death. "First CO,
Kailadevi investigated the case and found three in-laws as accused including her husband, father and
mother-in-law . Then the case was handed over to CO Karauli and now only her husband is an accused,"
said Amit. CO, Karauli, Poonam Chand Bishnoi said the investigation has been completed in the matter
and the case has been referred to the SP office for further action. Amit claimed that despite all evidences
suggesting torture, the police have yet not arrested anyone. (Times of India 30/12/11)