WOMEN – 2012 - Indian Social Institute

under IPC including murder, dowry deaths, arson, burglary and kidnapping in 2011 followed by 32,647cases in Mumbai and 30,283 in Bengaluru. Delhi Police registered 115 cases of dowry deaths last year,112 in 2010 and 104 in 2009, the data said. (Zee News 23/12/12)Justice Verma panel gets down to work, seeks public comments (8)New Delhi: The three-member committee of jurists, constituted to give recommendations on amendinglaws to provide speedier justice and enhanced punishment in sexual assault cases, began its work onMonday by issuing notice seeking public comments on the issue by January 5. The committee headed byformer Chief Justice of India J S Verma sought comments from the public in general, particularly eminentjurists, legal professionals, NGOs, women’s groups and civil society members on reviewing the existinglaws in a bid to provide quicker justice and stringent punishment in cases of aggravated sexual assault,an official statement said. The comments can be mailed to justice.verma@nic.in or through FAX at 011-23092675. The committee, which was constituted after public protests erupted over the Delhi gang rapecase, will look into possible amendments to the criminal law for faster trial and proper punishment forcriminals accused of committing sexual assault of extreme nature against women. The other members ofthe committee, constituted by the government, are Justice (retd) Leila Seth, former Chief Justice ofHimachal Pradesh High Court, and Gopal Subramanian, former solicitor general of India. The panel hasbeen given 30 days to report to the government. (Deccan Herald 24/12/12)Widow raped, male colleague beaten in Gujarat (8)Unjha: A 37-year-old widow was raped Tuesday night by two unidentified people even as her malecolleague was stripped and beaten mercilessly, police said. An Unjha police official said the woman andthe man were talking to each other sitting in a vehicle when the two men arrived on their two-wheeler andthreatened the woman’s colleague with a knife. The duo then stripped the man and beat him, police said,adding one of the two assaulters then tied the woman’s hands and legs with her sari before both of themtook turns to rape her. Incident took place between 9 pm and 11 pm last night, the police said. Accordingto police, people heard the cries of the woman in the morning and informed them. “We took her to thepolice station and she stated in her complaint that the rapists were aged between 25 and 30 years," theysaid. The woman's male colleague was brought in an unconscious condition to the police station and bothwere later admitted to Mehsana Civil Hospital, the police said. Mehsana LCB inspector HP Dave isinvestigating the case. (DNA 27/12/12)12-year-old girl gang-raped in Bihar (8)Patna: A 12-year-old girl was gang-raped by three youths in a village here, police said Thursday. Thecrime took place two days ago and an FIR was lodged after intervention by senior officials. The minorwas gang-raped when she was going to her grand parents' house in Choti Kewai village from her nativevillage Sigriyavan at a distance of about two km. "Initially the police refused to lodge a first informationreport (FIR) when we informed about the incident. The police officials told us that it was a case of eveteasing,not a gang-rape," the maternal uncle of the victim said. "We then complained to senior policeofficials. After that, a case was registered (Wednesday)," he said. "A case has been registered againstthree accused - Guddu Yadav, Arjun Yadav and Annu Kumar. They are residents of Choti Kewai village,"Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sunita Kumari told IANS. The police raided several places toarrest the accused who are absconding. (DNA 27/12/12)Law to deal with Delhi gang-rape accused expeditiously: PM (8)New Delhi: A day after unveiling measures to review laws dealing with sexual assault, Prime MinisterManmohan Singh today said the law will deal with the culprits in the gangrape case in the capitalexpeditiously. Singh, addressing the 57th meeting of the National Development Council (NDC), asked allchief ministers to pay special attention to the critical area of security of women. On the brutal gangrape ofa paramedical student here on December 16, he said, "In this particular case, the culprits have beenapprehended, and the law will deal with them expeditiously. "Let me state categorically that the issue ofsafety and security of women is of the highest concern to the government. A Commission of Inquiry isbeing set up to look into precisely these issues in the capital," the Prime Minister said. He said there canbe no meaningful development without the active participation of half the population and this participationsimply cannot take place if their security is not assured. "I urge all Chief Ministers to pay special attentionto this critical area in their states," Singh said. (DNA 27/12/12)