Women's board slams Justice Verma panel report, wants change

Bangalore, Jan 26:The report submitted by Justice Verma committee to suggest tougher laws for crimes against women has come under scanner of women's rights activists.

Karnataka State Women Commission chairperson C Manjula on Friday, Jan 25 said that there was nothing new in Justice JS Verma Committee's report on amendment to anti-rape laws.

"The report is more academic. There should be a holistic approach to review rape laws. The report has to be worked on again, and must also be discussed in Parliament," said Manjula.

"Following the statement of Delhi gang-rape victim's friend about their 40-minute ordeal, police wasted precious time discussing the jurisdiction. All police stations must be made to receive complaints immediately without raising question on jurisdiction. More police officers and constables must be deployed in stations," added Manjula.

The panel was headed by former Chief Justice of India JS Verma. The other members of the committee were Justice (Retd) Leila Seth, former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court and former Solicitor General of India Gopal Subramaniam. The three-member Justice Verma panel was set up to suggest tougher laws for crimes against women.

The Verma panel was formed by the government in the wake of brutal gang-rape of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus in New Delhi on Dec 16, 2012. The victim died in a Singapore hospital on Dec 29, 2012.

However, the report submitted by three-member Justice Verma committee to Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday, Jan 23 suggested life imprisonment for gang-rape but no death penalty.

OneIndia News