Revamp system to deter crimes against women: SC bench
7 Jan 2013 6:40 AM IST
Lending its voice to the country wide demand for strong laws to ensure the safety and security of women, the Supreme Court called for a revamp of the system to provide for stringent punishment in cases of crimes against women.
‘A complete overhaul of the system is a must in the form of deterrent punishment for the offenders so that we can effectively deal with the problem,’ a bench of the apex court comprising Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, in a recent judgment.
Speaking for the bench, Justice Sathasivam said: ‘In spite of stringent legislation in order to curb the deteriorating condition of women across the country, cases of bride burning, cruelty, suicide, sexual harassment, rape, suicide by married women etc. have increased.’
The court made the observation while upholding the conviction of Ashabai and Kavita, sisters-in-law of Vandana Raghunath Tayade, who was burnt to death in Maharashtra in 2003 for her inability to conceive.
‘in view of clinching evidence led in by the prosecution, there cannot be any leniency in favour of the appellants, who are sisters-in-law of the deceased and at whose instance the deceased was burnt at the hands of her mother-in-law’, the apex court said, dismissing the appeals.
Addressing the contention that Vandana had made four dying declarations which were inconsistent and could not be relied upon, the apex court said: ‘When the (trial) court is satisfied that the dying declaration is voluntary, not tainted by tutoring or animosity, and is not a product of the imagination of the declarant, in that event there is no impediment in convicting the accused on the basis of such dying declaration.’
NEED OF THE HOUR
In spite of stringent legislation in order to curb the deteriorating condition of women across the country, cases of bride burning, cruelty, suicide, sexual harassment, rape, suicide by married women etc. have increased, apex court bench comprising Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi said in a recent judgement
‘A complete overhaul of the system is a must in the form of deterrent punishment for the offenders so that we can effectively deal with the problem,’ a bench of the apex court comprising Justice P. Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi said, in a recent judgment.
Speaking for the bench, Justice Sathasivam said: ‘In spite of stringent legislation in order to curb the deteriorating condition of women across the country, cases of bride burning, cruelty, suicide, sexual harassment, rape, suicide by married women etc. have increased.’
The court made the observation while upholding the conviction of Ashabai and Kavita, sisters-in-law of Vandana Raghunath Tayade, who was burnt to death in Maharashtra in 2003 for her inability to conceive.
‘in view of clinching evidence led in by the prosecution, there cannot be any leniency in favour of the appellants, who are sisters-in-law of the deceased and at whose instance the deceased was burnt at the hands of her mother-in-law’, the apex court said, dismissing the appeals.
Addressing the contention that Vandana had made four dying declarations which were inconsistent and could not be relied upon, the apex court said: ‘When the (trial) court is satisfied that the dying declaration is voluntary, not tainted by tutoring or animosity, and is not a product of the imagination of the declarant, in that event there is no impediment in convicting the accused on the basis of such dying declaration.’
NEED OF THE HOUR
In spite of stringent legislation in order to curb the deteriorating condition of women across the country, cases of bride burning, cruelty, suicide, sexual harassment, rape, suicide by married women etc. have increased, apex court bench comprising Justice P Sathasivam and Justice Ranjan Gogoi said in a recent judgement
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