Blitz Bureau
THE Supreme Court has agreed to examine a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the issuance of pan-India safety guidelines, reforms, and measures for the protection of women. A Bench led by Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, issued a notice to the Union Government, requesting a response on the matter.
“We will have to examine where we are lacking to achieve the goal of punitive and penal law. There is not something wrong with the quantity of punishment, but something else,” the Bench said.
The case will be heard again in January 2025. Senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, representing the Supreme Court Women Lawyers Association, pointed out that despite stringent laws enacted by Parliament, issues like “unwillingness, corruption, and laxity in the police and administrative stakeholders” hinder the timely and effective enforcement of these laws. This, she argued, results in the absence of fear among criminals.
The PIL called on the Supreme Court to take judicial notice and establish strict guidelines with a focus on their timebound implementation to prevent incidents of sexual violence against women. Additionally, the plea sought the invocation of the ‘parens patriae’ doctrine to protect the fundamental rights of women, children, and the third gender in India, particularly concerning their rights to safety, dignity, bodily integrity, and a safe environment.
The petition highlighted the surge in crimes against women, girls, and infants, reported across several states such as Kolkata, Delhi, Bihar, Karnataka, Assam, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Odisha, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh. It referenced the gangrape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor in Kolkata on August 9, describing it as a “ghastly reminder” that the situation has not improved since the 2012 Nirbhaya case.
The PIL further noted that the safety of women in India is marred by “ineptness, redtape, bureaucratic cowardice by law enforcement agencies, political hooliganism, and brutal behaviour from criminals.”
The petition also argued that instead of politicising such sensitive issues, the Government must prioritise the security of vulnerable citizens and increase funds for the safety of women, children, and the third gender. Additionally, the PIL sought directions for schools to introduce gender sensitivity classes, along with sex education and regular workshops by qualified child psychologists. These would aim to educate boys and girls on biological changes during adolescence and how to handle them in a healthy way
