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Arrest power to NCW: Law Ministry says no

The Law Ministry has red flagged a proposal to provide the National Commission of Women punitive powers to arrest and penalise people guilty of harassing women and ignoring summons.

The Law Ministry has also questioned the move to have two separate selection panels for chairperson and members of the Commission.

Sources said the Law Ministry is of the view that the Commission cannot be given powers to arrest and penalise as these were the domain of the police and the judiciary.

The Law Ministry has also pointed out that one selection panel was sufficient for the selection of chairperson and other members.

Seeking to give more teeth to the NCW, the Ministry of Women and Child Development plans to make National Commission of Women (NCW) on par with National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to effectively deal with cases of violence and harassment of women.

According to the proposal, ignoring summons of NCW may land the offenders in jail.

The WCD Ministry wants the NCW to be an effective body so that it can recommend jail and refer cases to court.
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