Had the government taken measures on the directions of the Supreme Court, given a fortnight before the unfortunate gangrape incident, on curbing eve-teasing and molestation of women, the para-medical student could have been living a healthy life.
A bench of Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra had observed, ‘Experiences of women and girl children in over-crowded buses, metros, trains etc. are horrendous and a painful ordeal. Before undertaking suitable legislation to curb eve-teasing, it is necessary to take at least some urgent measures so that it can be curtailed to some extent.’ The bench had observed that ‘eve teasing today has become pernicious, horrid and disgusting practice and the necessity of a proper legislation to curb eve-teasing is of extreme importance’. It had also taken note of the lack of uniform law in this country to curb eve-teasing effectively. It had also observed that provisions of the Protection of Woman against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010, currently under the consideration of Parliament, were not sufficient to curb eve-teasing.
The bench had directed all state governments and Union Territories to depute plain-clothed female police officers in the precincts of bus-stands and stops, railway stations, metro stations, cinema theatres, shopping malls, parks, public service vehicles etc. to monitor and supervise incidents of eve-teasing and to install CCTV in strategic positions.
Among other directions, it had said that where any incident of eve-teasing is committed in a public service vehicle either, the crew of such vehicle shall take such vehicle to nearest police station and give information to the police. Failure to do so should lead to cancellation of the permit to ply. It had also directed to establish women helpline in various cities and towns, so as to curb eve-teasing within three months.
A bench of Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra had observed, ‘Experiences of women and girl children in over-crowded buses, metros, trains etc. are horrendous and a painful ordeal. Before undertaking suitable legislation to curb eve-teasing, it is necessary to take at least some urgent measures so that it can be curtailed to some extent.’ The bench had observed that ‘eve teasing today has become pernicious, horrid and disgusting practice and the necessity of a proper legislation to curb eve-teasing is of extreme importance’. It had also taken note of the lack of uniform law in this country to curb eve-teasing effectively. It had also observed that provisions of the Protection of Woman against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010, currently under the consideration of Parliament, were not sufficient to curb eve-teasing.
The bench had directed all state governments and Union Territories to depute plain-clothed female police officers in the precincts of bus-stands and stops, railway stations, metro stations, cinema theatres, shopping malls, parks, public service vehicles etc. to monitor and supervise incidents of eve-teasing and to install CCTV in strategic positions.
Among other directions, it had said that where any incident of eve-teasing is committed in a public service vehicle either, the crew of such vehicle shall take such vehicle to nearest police station and give information to the police. Failure to do so should lead to cancellation of the permit to ply. It had also directed to establish women helpline in various cities and towns, so as to curb eve-teasing within three months.