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United News of India
22-07-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
SC ashamed over rising crimes against women; Seeks concrete solutions beyond symbolism
New Delhi, July 22 (UNI) Expressing deep anguish over the rising incidents of brutal violence against women, the Supreme Court today remarked that it feels "ashamed" to hear frequent cases of assaults, including recent incidents where women were burnt alive. A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a writ petition filed by the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association seeking Pan-India Safety Guidelines to protect women, alongside reforms including mandatory chemical castration of sexual offenders upon arrest, immediate polygraph tests, life imprisonment, and permanent castration in cases of heinous rape and murder. The petition also demanded setting up a National Sex Offenders Registry accessible to all women. During the hearing, Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani highlighted that only two days ago, a girl was burnt alive. Justice Kant responded, 'We are equally concerned… so many voiceless people in remote areas suffer. Wide publicity may not work out for them. Let's accept these ground realities.' The Court, however, adjourned the matter to Thursday after noting that the Union Government's counter-affidavit was not on record. It urged Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to treat the issue not as adversarial litigation but as a collective challenge requiring both long-term and short-term solutions. Justice Kant observed, 'Just examine possible solutions… comprehensive directions that can create real impact. Only when tragedy strikes do we wake up. This is what is inherently wrong in the system.' He suggested appointing educated villagers as paralegal workers to bridge justice accessibility gaps, especially when ASG Bhati informed the Court about existing One Stop Centres in every district. Justice Kant proposed that women elected as sarpanch under Panchayat reservation could also be empowered to act as paralegal workers. The petition invoked the doctrine of parens patriae for the Court to safeguard the fundamental rights of women, children, and the third gender. It stated that despite stringent laws after the JS Verma Committee recommendations in 2013, heinous cases like Unnao, Kathua, and Hathras continue to occur due to police and administrative apathy, corruption, and lack of implementation. 'Parliament has passed strict laws but without effective and timely implementation, criminals have no fear,' the plea said, urging the Court to issue strict, time-bound guidelines to prevent such crimes. UNI SNG RN
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Time of India
Former Kol CP not guilty of any botch-up in RG Kar probe: CBI
Kolkata: The CBI on Thursday told a Sealdah court that it has found nothing "incriminating" against former Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal to suspect his role during the RG Kar rape-murder probe. The CBI also reiterated in court that available evidence indicates that none other than Sanjoy Roy was guilty of the rape-murder. While arguing the case, Phiroze Edulji, the lawyer for the victim's parents, said that both Goyal and the CBI's additional director, Sampat Meena, are officers of the 1994 IPS batch, although they belonged to the different cadres. Edulji alleged that given this background CBI would not investigate the case against the former police commissioner. He also raised questions about the capability of the investigating officer, Seema Pahooja. Reacting to this, the CBI lawyer said that being a batchmate cannot be an offence. The CBI counsel stated that the agency investigated every aspect and found nothing incriminating to suspect Goyal's role. The CBI lawyer said that no person would be arrested based on the allegations of the victim's family members or their lawyers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gleiten Sie in Ihre finanzielle Zukunft eToro Click Here Undo The agency reviewed the CCTV footage and the DNA test reports. He also mentioned that the trial against accused Sanjay Roy resulted in his conviction on Jan 18 this year, and the sentence was pronounced on Jan 20. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Edulji also referred to the Hathras probe — also conducted by Pahooja — and alleged that three persons were acquitted while only one accused person was found guilty. The CBI objected to the argument and claimed that the Hathras probe was under the supervision of the court and the investigation was conducted even against a minister. The criticism against Goyal in the RG Kar aftermath had prompted the Bengal govt to remove him as the Kolkata police commissioner and replace him with the present incumbent Manoj Varma. The transfer of Goyal was among the primary demands of the protesting junior doctors. Goyal, himself an IIT Kharagpur graduate, now heads the Bengal Special Task Force. He also has the additional charge of ADG (administration). The CBI, which on Tuesday told the parents of the victim that Sanjay Roy is the sole accused person so far, told the court on Wednesday that they interrogated seven persons between June 10 and July 16. The court will hear the case next on Sep 12.
Indian Express
30-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Kolkata rape: BJP fact-finding committee arrives in Kolkata, faces protesters at law college
The four-member fact-finding committee constituted by the BJP to look into the case involving alleged rape of a student at a law college in Kolkata arrived in the city on Monday. The team, which met the Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma before visiting the scene of crime, will submit its report to party's national president and Union Minister JP Nadda. Speaking to the media, the team members said they were not able to meet with the victim as she is under police security. Former Union minister Meenakshi Lekhi, who is part of the committee said , 'The chief minister of West Bengal is a woman but such crimes still keep taking place. In the RG Kar College case, a woman was raped and murdered. If one is not safe on college campuses then what would be the condition of public places? One can only imagine that.' She further questioned how appointments of criminals were being made in colleges. 'Where is police verification? How many such history sheeters are being appointed? He (prime accused) took money to get admissions done. This is the government's failure at every level. They have violated every rule,' she said. 'The NCW team visited and they were not given access to the victim. The documents which are in public domain are hiding the identity of criminals. If women don't feel safe then raises questions on the administration of the state.' Meanwhile, BJP supporters and members of the Raat Dokhol and Adhikar Dokhol Mancha (Reclaim Night, Reclaim Rights Forum) comprising several student and women's rights organisations had a standoff outside the law college on Monday The confrontation took place when the BJP's fact-finding team entered the college premises after a long discussion with police. The BJP supporters shouted slogans against the college authorities and the TMC. The forum activists waving placards shouted slogans against gender violence, and drew parallels with the 2020 Hathras gangrape incident. As tempers flared, a brief scuffle broke out between BJP supporters and forum activists. Police, however, dispersed the two groups. Later in the day, the forum representatives filed a formal complaint at Kasba police station, alleging disruption of a peaceful demonstration.
Indian Express
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
From the Opinions Editor: Stampedes, like those in Bengaluru last week, can be prevented
An occasion that was meant to be a celebration turned into a tragedy last week. Eleven Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) fans had to part with their lives and more than 40 others suffered injuries in a stampede that occurred primarily because event management in India hasn't found a way to come to terms with the crowd. Crowds are par for the course in India. And, in a country of monumental diversities, the chances of their being unpredictable shouldn't also be ruled out. Yet, an analysis of stampedes in recent times, whether at Hathras last year or during the Kumbh or last week's tragedy in Bengaluru, points to familiar lapses — poor planning, faulty communication, insufficient understanding of the crowd's emotion and failure to take damage control measures. Crowd management is an evolving discipline and there cannot be a fixed template for controlling congested gatherings — pilgrims tend to behave differently from people waiting for a train at a railway station or a politician's followers. However, global experience has made some fundamentals clear. The first thing to do is to keep crowd densities to manageable levels — less than four persons per square meter is the ideal That's the task primarily of the local administrative and police authorities along with the event organisers. The National Disaster Management Authority's guidelines prescribe coordination among these authorities. However, crowds are frequently known to exceed the estimated numbers — whether at a religious congregation, a political rally or a celebration like that organised for the RCB last week. Given that cricket is almost a religion in large parts of the country, the organisers should have anticipated that the crowd for the RCB felicitation event would swell beyond the capacity of the Chinnaswamy stadium — at 35,000, it's not amongst the biggest in the country. The mood in the city after RCB's victory could have given the authorities some cues about the scale of people who would throng Bengaluru's streets to cheer their heroes on the fateful day. But by their own admission, they failed to anticipate the numbers. The next step, then, would have been to look out for any sign of anxiety. Crowd management studies say that the individual member of a large gathering in a congested area has a very limited ability to perceive what's going on. And in any case, they don't have any capacity to control its behaviour. This creates a situation rife for panic. Experts say that crowds must be broken into smaller groups, and authorities must try to prevent a congregation from turning into a single mass. That did not happen at the RCB felicitation event. It has joined a list of tragedies in which the first to get ruffled were those who should have been exercising a calming influence. Public awareness is another basic precept. The Tirupati Balaji temple, for instance, conducts regular awareness sessions for devotees. The Hillsborough stadium disaster in the UK 1989 led to the evolution of crowd management protocols for sports events. Such preparations may not be possible in a spontaneous gathering such as the one after RCB's IPL victory. Clear communication becomes more important in such situations. However, in Bengaluru last week, misleading public address advisories added to the confusion. A first aid-providing system should have been kept on high alert. But there was scarcely anyone to lend a helping hand when people started stumbling and tripping in their rush towards the stadium. Crowd management demands attention to the minutest detail. That's not as difficult a task today compared to even five years ago. Technology can help keep an eagle's eye at most congested events. CCTV cameras are common law and order aids in most Indian cities. AI and drones enable real-time monitoring and improve coordination among administrators, event managers, and participants. In many cases, keeping a tab on social media can help gauge sentiments. Stampedes can be prevented. Ensuring safety at large gatherings requires scrupulous attention to every detail. Turn to technology and take lessons from human psychology. No lives should be lost in a crowded event. That would be the best tribute to those who lost their lives in Bengaluru last week.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Time of India
2020 Hathras gangrape: HC dismissesSHO's plea to quash CBI case against him
Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court has dismissed a petition filed by suspended station house officer (SHO) Dinesh Kumar Verma seeking to quash criminal proceedings, including the summoning order issued by CBI court, Ghaziabad, in connection with the 2020 Hathras gang rape and murder case of a 19-year-old Dalit woman. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The petitioner was booked in the case over allegations of dereliction of duty. Dismissing the petition, Justice Raj Beer Singh in his decision dated April 25, criticised the officer's conduct as it took into account both procedural violations and lack of sensitivity in handling the case involving the gang rape survivor who later succumbed to her injuries. The accused is facing CBI's charge-sheet for offence under sections 166A(b)(c) (failure to record information given to him under section 154 of CrPC concerning sexual offences) and 167 of IPC that deals with public servant framing an incorrect document with an intent to cause injury. According to the chargesheet, the accused-applicant failed to stop the media from approaching the victim and capturing her photographs and video inside the police station, despite it being his duty to safeguard the dignity of a sexual offence survivor. It is alleged that when the victim was brought to the police station, the SHO shot her video on his mobile phone but failed to refer her for a medical examination despite her claiming that she had been sexually assaulted. Besides, he also refused to take the severely injured victim to the hospital either via a police vehicle or ambulance, and instead, compelled her family to arrange a shared auto-rickshaw for transport. The CBI probe alleged that, at his instance, false entries were made in the general diary, including claims that a woman constable was sent to examine the victim's injuries, even though the constable arrived after the victim had already been taken to the hospital. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The chargesheet also claimed that, without examining the victim's injuries, false entries were made stating that there were no injuries to her body. Also, the accused-applicant failed to register a case based on the victim's statement. His counsel contended that there was no evidence of unlawful conduct by the applicant, who managed the situation without causing panic, despite the victim being suddenly brought to the police station amid a crowd and media presence. It was also submitted before the bench that the applicant did not doubt the victim's family and immediately sent her to the hospital without examining the sexual assault issue and that it was a human error that he did not pay heed to the word "zabardasti" uttered by the victim while claiming that she had been sexually assaulted. Considering the complainant's statement, witness testimonies, and material collected during the investigation, including general diary, entries and CCTV footage from the police station, the court concluded that a prima facie case had been established against him. In 2020, a suo moto case was instituted by the high court over the Hathras gang rape and cremation case to examine the right to decent and dignified last rites. The court had taken cognizance of the rape of the 19-year-old Dalit girl by four men on Sep 14, 2020. The girl was shifted to a Delhi hospital for treatment but died two weeks later. She was cremated on the intervening night of Sep 29/30, 2020, apparently against the wishes of her family members. Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court has dismissed a petition filed by suspended station house officer (SHO) Dinesh Kumar Verma seeking to quash criminal proceedings, including the summoning order issued by CBI court, Ghaziabad, in connection with the 2020 Hathras gang rape and murder case of a 19-year-old Dalit woman. The petitioner was booked in the case over allegations of dereliction of duty. Dismissing the petition, Justice Raj Beer Singh in his decision dated April 25, criticised the officer's conduct as it took into account both procedural violations and lack of sensitivity in handling the case involving the gang rape survivor who later succumbed to her injuries. The accused is facing CBI's charge-sheet for offence under sections 166A(b)(c) (failure to record information given to him under section 154 of CrPC concerning sexual offences) and 167 of IPC that deals with public servant framing an incorrect document with an intent to cause injury. According to the chargesheet, the accused-applicant failed to stop the media from approaching the victim and capturing her photographs and video inside the police station, despite it being his duty to safeguard the dignity of a sexual offence survivor. It is alleged that when the victim was brought to the police station, the SHO shot her video on his mobile phone but failed to refer her for a medical examination despite her claiming that she had been sexually assaulted. Besides, he also refused to take the severely injured victim to the hospital either via a police vehicle or ambulance, and instead, compelled her family to arrange a shared auto-rickshaw for transport. The CBI probe alleged that, at his instance, false entries were made in the general diary, including claims that a woman constable was sent to examine the victim's injuries, even though the constable arrived after the victim had already been taken to the hospital. The chargesheet also claimed that, without examining the victim's injuries, false entries were made stating that there were no injuries to her body. Also, the accused-applicant failed to register a case based on the victim's statement. His counsel contended that there was no evidence of unlawful conduct by the applicant, who managed the situation without causing panic, despite the victim being suddenly brought to the police station amid a crowd and media presence. It was also submitted before the bench that the applicant did not doubt the victim's family and immediately sent her to the hospital without examining the sexual assault issue and that it was a human error that he did not pay heed to the word "zabardasti" uttered by the victim while claiming that she had been sexually assaulted. Considering the complainant's statement, witness testimonies, and material collected during the investigation, including general diary, entries and CCTV footage from the police station, the court concluded that a prima facie case had been established against him. In 2020, a suo moto case was instituted by the high court over the Hathras gang rape and cremation case to examine the right to decent and dignified last rites. The court had taken cognizance of the rape of the 19-year-old Dalit girl by four men on Sep 14, 2020. The girl was shifted to a Delhi hospital for treatment but died two weeks later. She was cremated on the intervening night of Sep 29/30, 2020, apparently against the wishes of her family members.
