The Llatest incidents of rape and crime against women have left the country in a state of woefulness.
Haryana: A 23-year-old woman was gangraped by three men who also threw her nine-month-old baby girl to death out of a vehicle in Gurgaon.Tamil Nadu: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by two bus drivers and a conductor in Salem area.
Uttar Pradesh: A 27-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped by three men in front of her husband, who was tied to a tree and gagged in Sahaswan area. In Greater Noida’s Jewar, four women of a family were gangraped for hours in a field and the male member was shot dead by armed robbers.
Maharashtra: A 23-year-old woman from Thane was allegedly molested by a co-passenger in an autorickshaw and thrown out of the vehicle.
Delhi: A 15-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a friend at a park in Rohini.
National Crime Records Bureau statistics say that 93 women are raped every day across India.
Where are we heading to? A country, where thousands of crores remitted as taxes are used for security and other purposes, can’t provide even the minimal safety.
Enough is enough! We need concrete steps to deal with the issue, which makes us cringe and tremble to the core, with much-needed vehemence. Statistics exhibit that countless incidents have happened at places such as police stations, hospitals, railway stations, roads, buses, autos, taxis, parks, highways, etc. Police, of course, have a major responsibility and role to play. Additionally, departments/establishments under whose jurisdiction such crime spots fall, too, have an onus to discharge.
Serious accountability is the need of the hour. In case of any unfortunate incident, an immediate explanation must be demanded from the negligent official/s concerned such as officer incharge of the area/establishment, those directly responsible for allocated job such as supervisors and security guards, apart from topmost officials in the hierarchy of the concerned department. With respect to the police, the station house officer of the area concerned and deputed policemen must be questioned in writing.
Imposition of penalties and procedures, such as issuance of chargesheet, enquiry, showcause notice to errant officials may take time. But actions such as suspension can be implemented immediately. Stringent disciplinary actions, written memos and warnings are effective ways to create deterrence and remind the officials of their responsibilities.
Although disciplinary policies of departments, institutions and establishments are in place, what we lack is their awareness and implementation. Apart from filling up this wide gap, there is a need to make actions time-bound with reasonable provisions of condonation of delay, efficacious and regular supervision, transparency to public with regards to the measures implemented.
Most of the organisations, such as security, transportation etc now outsource manpower. Under such circumstances, proper background check, online screening, website-based data of each personnel should be maintained not just by the outsourced agency, but also by the principal employer. Similar steps should be followed when hiring or granting licence to auto, bus, taxi drivers. Linking a person’s background with his Aadhaar could be further helpful. Installation of CCTV cameras has become an absolute necessity these days. Meritless non-performers in government departments are like termites in wood. They, too, demand a rigorous scrutiny.
Stringent legal penalties and provisions will curb crimes against women to a certain extent. But given our huge population and the impossibility to tab everyone, the solution lies in creating cogent accountabilities which for current scenario is like lifeblood to reduce crime.
Raavi Birbal
Advocate, Supreme Court of India
raavibirbal@gmail.com