‘Don’t Deny Justice to Aggrieved Women, Act Quick to Gain Confidence’-Shyamala Kunder tells Cops
- ‘Don’t Deny Justice to Aggrieved Women- Act Quick to Gain Confidence’-Tells National Commission for Women (NCW) member Shyamala Kunder to police, while interacting with media persons at DC’s Office.
Mangaluru : Addressing the media during an interaction meet held at DC’s office, Member of National Commission for Women (NCW) Shyamala S Kunder said, “When a woman approaches a police station to file a complaint, police should respond swiftly and solve the problem in quickly to boost her morale. Police should also see that she feels comfortable and give her all kind moral support . Justice shouldn’t be denied to an aggrieved woman. I have discussed this issue with DGP and IGP Praveen Sood, who has promised to conduct a sensitization programme for the police. Whenever women face any problems, justice should not be denied. Several women are victims of domestic violence and cyber crime. At the same time if a woman gets moral support and gets confidence, more women will come forward to file complaints. In this regard, I have met the Deputy General of Police, who has responded positively and has assured to take up awareness campaigns for women’s safety”.
Many women who approach police are victims of cyber crime, domestic violence, mental and physical harassment. A few words of encouragement and swift delivery of justice will increase the victim’s confidence on the system. ‘Sakhi’, a one stop centre for women has been started in all the districts of the state, which will provide counselling, legal assistance, medical treatment, police help and temporary stay facility for the women. Udupi is one among the four districts to have ‘Sakhi’. Regarding the harassment case at Mangalore University, I have directed the Vice Chancellor to issue a show cause notice within a week to the lecturer, who, despite sexually harassing a student two years ago, had not received any notice from the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC). I have also urged the VC to set up such ICC in all colleges under the University”
“The National Commission for Women (NCW) will not have any change in its view on the Hathras incident where a young woman was gangraped and it will stand by victims of harassment. The NCW has initiated all necessary legal steps to provide justice to the victim of the Hathras incident’ said Shyamala. Answering a question regarding the action taken on those who had revealed the name of victim of rape and murder in Hathras in Uttar Pradesh on the social media, Ms. Kunder said that notices have been served against those involved. “The NCW will definitely take action in the issue following a reply to notices and the ATR (action taken report) from officials,” she said.
While Arabi U, a professor in dept of Post Graduate studies in Economics, is under the lens for sexually harassing the student, A M Khan, former registrar is facing the heat for not acting promptly on the internal complaints committee report against Arabi. Meantime, Shyamala has directed the VC to place Khan under suspension forthwith, and issue show cause notice to Arabi for his misdemeanour. There has been a similar incident in the past around six years ago when the University compulsorily retired an employee charged similarly without benefits. The Court upheld the same later, said Shyamala.
On the remark made against a woman candidate from Bharatiya Janata Party by a Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh during an election campaign, Ms. Kunder said that the commission is waiting for the action taken report from the officials. They have been given 30 days to submit it. “We hope to get a factual report. If officials do not reveal the facts, action will be taken against them too,” she said and added, “The NCW will have no change in its view and it will continue to stand by victims of harassment.” Ms. Kunder, who is in-charge of cases from eight States, including Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, said that the NCW has been acting quickly on all instances of harassment that come to its notice.