{"id":317980,"date":"2019-12-17T09:21:05","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T09:21:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/?p=317980"},"modified":"2019-12-17T09:21:09","modified_gmt":"2019-12-17T09:21:09","slug":"up-plans-fast-track-justice-in-women-abuse-cases","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/up-plans-fast-track-justice-in-women-abuse-cases\/","title":{"rendered":"UP plans fast-track justice in women abuse cases"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/up-plans-fast-track-justice-in-women-abuse-cases\/20-7\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-317998\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-317998 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/tehelka.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/20-300x194.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"679\" height=\"439\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2019\/12\/20-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2019\/12\/20-768x498.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2019\/12\/20-1024x664.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2019\/12\/20-696x451.jpg 696w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2019\/12\/20-1068x692.jpg 1068w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2019\/12\/20-648x420.jpg 648w, https:\/\/tehelka.com\/media\/2019\/12\/20-1920x1245.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 679px) 100vw, 679px\" \/><\/a>Taking strong view on public outcry against mounting incidents of sexual assault and violence against women, the UP government would be setting up 218 new fast-track courts for speedy trial to ensure quick justice. The decision came in wake of directives of Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to fast track process of trial for ensuring speedy justice to victims of sexual offences under POCSO and Indian Penal Code. The state cabinet took this decision in its meeting chaired by chief minister Yogi Adityanath on December 9.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">Highlighting the plan of the government, the Law and Justice Minister Brajesh Pathak told Tehelka, \u201cThe state has pendency of 42,388 cases relating to sexual offences against children and 25,749 cases of rape and sexual crimes against women in trial courts of the state which need to be streamlined and fast tracked.\u201d\u201cDue to the high number of pending cases and for their speedy disposal, 218 new fast-track courts will be set up in the state. Of these, 144 will be especially for crimes against women and they will hear only rape cases. As many as 74 new fast track courts will be dedicated to trying cases of crimes against children under POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act,\u201d Pathak added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">The law minister said that new posts of additional session judges would be created for these 218 fast track courts.\u201cAn estimated 75 lakh budget will be earmarked for each of these courts. While the state will bear 40 per cent of the earmarked fund remaining 60 per cent support would come from the Centre,\u201d Pathak said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) recorded maximum offences against women in Uttar Pradesh. Itslatest annual Crime in India Report 2017 mentioned that during the year 3, 59,849 cases of crime against women reported in the country. Uttar Pradesh topped the list with 56,011 cases followed by Maharashtra with 31,979 cases and West Bengal 30,002.The phenomena remained more or less the same <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">this year too as the state witnessed barbaric crimes against women and unfortunately careless role of police machinery in the cases against Swami Chinmayanand, MLA Kuldeep <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">Singh Senger, Mainpurihostel girl and horrific incident of <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">setting ablaze Unnao rape victim has put the BJP government on the back foot.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">The Unnao rape-survivor woman with 90 per cent burnt airlifted by government in most critical condition to Safdarjung hospital Delhi where she succumbed to her injuries. This incident resulted in outrageous reactions from political circlesagainst BJP government. BSP chief Mayawati met Governor Anandi Ben to provide proper security to women. <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav sat before the Vidhan Sabha building in protest of police inaction that could have saved victim\u2019s life from the accused persons, who came outfrom jail after getting bail from the High Court.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadralost no time to make political attack on ruling BJP government\u2019s failure.Onlast Saturday,Priyanka rushed to Unnao to meet the <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">bereaved family members of the gang-rape survivor who died in a Delhi hospital after setting ablaze by the accused and held the Uttar Pradesh government solely responsible for her death. Some senior Congress leaders including Ajay Kumar \u2018Lallu\u2019, Aradhana Mishra \u2018Mona\u2019 and Pramod Tewari accompanied her to the victim\u2019s village.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">After meeting the victim\u2019s family at their mud house, Priyanka <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">alleged, \u201cBharatiya Janata Party government was patronising criminals and this had led to recurrent crimes against women in the state.Imagine in the Unnao district alone 90 cases of rape has been reported in the last 11 months.\u201d \u201cThe BJP government says there is no place for criminals in UP. But the way in which anarchy has spread and crimes against women are taking place in the state, I wonder if in today\u2019s UP there is any place for women,\u201d she said. \u201cHollow law and order mechanism in UP denied justice to survivors of sexual violations. Thegovernment did not provide security to the Unnao gang-rape victim even though a similar incident had earlier taken place in the same district,\u201d she added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 14pt; text-align: justify;\">Later in a tweet, Priyanka questioned, \u201cWhy the victim of Unnao gang-rape case was not given security keeping in mind an earlier incident of Unnao? What action has been taken on the police officials who refused to register aFIR? What steps are being taken by the government to stop crime against women, which take place on a daily basis?\u201dIt was second occasion in a month when Priyanka\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">attacked chief minister Yogi Adityanath over declining law and order situation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday termed the death of Unnao gang rape victim \u2018extremely sad\u2019 and conveyed his condolences to the aggrieved family. \u201cAll the accused persons have been arrested. The case will be taken to a fast-track court, and punishment will be given,\u201d he said in a statement. Asa measure of damage control,chief minister deputed his cabinet minister Swami Prasad Maurya and minister <\/span><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">incharge Kamla Rani Varun to visit the victim\u2019s family who were protesting with her dead body and refusing to perform her last rites unless their demand are fulfilled. Mr Maurya handed over a cheque of 25 lakh from CM fund. He assured the family a house under PM Housing scheme and provisions of other reliefs as and when required. He assured that the guilty would not be spared and government will ensure justice.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">On December 8 night, state government suspended seven police officials for alleged negligence of duty that led to the death of the Unnao rape victim. The suspended cops included Ajay Kumar Tripathi, Station House Officer (SHO) of Unnao\u2019s Bihar police station, along with six other police personnel.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">The chief minister Yogi Adityanath has pull up the police administration to be sensitive towards crime against women. He has taken high level meeting of senior police officers and top bureaucrats to gear up criminal justice system. The prosecution department failed to yield results in securing conviction in heinous crime because its public prosecutors, who are duly qualified law graduate and appointed through UP Public service Commission,are not authorized to conduct trial at Sessions stage.The government assigned this job,without any accountability,to politically appointed panel of advocates who appear to be least bothered about the acquittal of criminals in the trial because of weak presentation of cases.The crime graph is rising because criminals do not fear breaking law due to lack of deterrent punishment and strict conviction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; font-family: 'times new roman', times, serif;\">letters@tehelka.com<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Taking strong view on public outcry against mounting incidents of sexual assault and violence against women, the UP government would be setting up 218 new fast-track courts for speedy trial to ensure quick justice. The decision came in wake of directives of Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad to fast track process of trial for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":40,"featured_media":317998,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[23,2205],"tags":[12225,12224,3548,284],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317980"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/40"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=317980"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":318010,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317980\/revisions\/318010"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/317998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=317980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=317980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}