VIJAYAWADA: Applauding neighbouring Telangana's Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the police officers of that state for the manner in which they responded to deliver justice to the Hyderabad vet who was gang-raped and killed, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday also found fault with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for coming running to investigate the encounter killings.
"Hats off to KCR garu and the police officers there for the manner in which they responded,'' Jagan said on the floor of the AP assembly. Jagan made these comments during the short discussion on women's safety and the Bill that his government would be bringing in to deliver speedy justice to women who are subjected to any kind of violence.
Referring to the case, Jagan said, "I felt very agonised and thought about how our police and government should respond if such an incident happens in our state. I am also a father of two daughters. If anything happens to them, as a father how shall I respond and what kind of punishment to the perpetrators give relief to me?'' he said.
Stating that the encounter took place in unfortunate circumstances, Jagan found fault with the manner in which the NHRC responded to the encounter. "When a police officer kills a criminal in an encounter in a movie, audience will clap. The movie will be a big hit. But what is happening in real life when someone with guts gives such a punishment? The NHRC came rushing from Delhi and is questioning the police there,'' he said.
Mincing no words in saying that the present laws have failed to give relief to victims or their families, Jagan said that though the Nirbhaya Act mandates that justice be delivered within four months, the family members of Nirbhaya are still making rounds of the court even seven years after the gruesome crime. "In such a situation, every woman is expecting immediate justice. But that is not happening. No one wants or expects that the accused be shot to death on the spot. But when there is no immediate justice and there is no faith on delivery of justice even after making rounds of the courts for years, when an accused is shot down, people hail them (police officers) as heroes,'' he said.
When there is conclusive evidence, like in the Hyderabad case where video footage caught the accused red-handed, we need to explore how to deliver speedy justice, Jagan said.
Stating that his government will be bringing in a revolutionary Bill in the assembly on Wednesday, the Chief Minister said that investigation into such cases shall be completed in a week during which scientific evidence like DNA tests shall also be completed. "Within two weeks, trial should be completed. The entire investigation and trial should be completed within 21 working days and the accused should be given capital punishment. There should be speedy disposal and fear among people about getting capital punishment,'' he said.
Jagan said there is a need for setting up of courts in each and every district to deal exclusively with crimes against women and children.
Speaking on his government's initiatives to bring down crimes against women and girls, Jagan said they have started implementing 'zero FIR' and cracked the whip on permit rooms and belt shops in the state. "When a person consumes alcohol, he will lose control over his senses. When a group of individuals consumes alcohol together, the thought process of them might change and they might get evil intentions. That is why we have removed 43,000 belt shops,'' he said.