Implementation of laws

 on women atrocities are more important than its formulation

By Hairsh K. Monga

The five accused in Delhi gang-rape have been charged under 13 sections of Indian Penal Code and in Fast Track Court at Saket, all the accused have denied the charges on basis of papers submitted by the police in the court and now the further trial will be on the basis of these proceedings.

However, in case all the charges are proved against all the accused, then it is hoped that all the five accused would face death sentence.  The sixth accused has been declared as minor and his trail will be in Juvenile Court.

In the brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in New Delhi on Dec 16, 2012 and the victim died in a Singapore hospital on Dec 29, 2012.

Since the day of incident of gang-rape in Delhi , there had been protests, demonstrations and the only consensus voice was for death sentence should be awarded to the rapists.  The heinous crime could be control the tears of even Sonia Gandhi when she visited the victim’s residence and that became a news but whosoever while condemning the incident of gang-rape, the tears rolled on the cheeks. It is felt that the persons involved in the gang-rape should be given the rarest of rare punishment and this feeling was seen in the society. It needs to be remembered that all the six accused are from the same society. 

But so far only six persons have come in the purview of the law and countless such rapists are moving freely in the society.  The way all the five accused have denied the charges speaks itself that they have no repentance on their act and they will do their best to save themselves from the clutches of law and in case, they are scot-free, there is no guarantee that no other ‘Damini’ will become their victim.  Taking a lesson from this, there is a need to change the mind-set of people in the society. 

It is matter of shame that on the one hand, call is given to give justice to the victim of Delhi gang-rape whereas on the other and, the news of rapes in the country are pouring in regularly.

The campaign started by scores of protesters after the Delhi gang-rape by the people in the country, has compelled the government to bring reforms in the existing law on atrocities on women.  The Committee under Justice J.S.Verma was constituted and suggestions were invited and the same were received in thousands by way of letters, emails etc. from the general public and organizations but none of the suggestion came from the top brass of police departments which includes broaden the meaning of rape, minimum sentence of life imprisonment, trial of army personnel in the general courts, making easy the medical examination of rape victims etc.

The centre government has announced the new law on these suggestions and President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to the new rape law rejecting the view of the Justice Verma on the death sentence.

Brutal attack set off nationwide protests about India 's treatment of women and spurred the government to hurry through a new package of laws to protect them replace it with a more comprehensive measure.

The new law has increased punishments for rape from the existing seven to 10 years to a maximum of 20 years. It also provides for the death penalty in extreme cases of rape that result in death or leaves the victim in a coma. It has also made voyeurism, stalking, acid attacks and the trafficking of women punishable under criminal law.

The women organizations are demanding that government should pay special attention to the rehabilitation of rape victim women, decision within the stipulated time and saving the economically weaker sections from the issues like rape crimes.  The government is no doubt committed to save the women from atrocities on them and brutal crimes like rapes but the laws should not be formulated for the sake of laws but for its implementation only then a message will go in the society to think hundred times before committing any crime against women.