New Delhi: Five years after the infamous Nirbhaya case, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Friday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create a stringent law to punish rapists.
Seeking the death penalty for rapists, DCW chief Swati Jaihind said, “In cases where minor girls are raped, there should be a law wherein the rapists are given death penalty within six months. This should be done in all the cases and we are requesting the Prime Minister to create such a harsh law.”
Ms Jaihind said that even after five years of the Nirbhaya case, nothing has changed much. “Women and girls are still being raped. The statistics are alarming; six rapes take place everyday,” she added.
Expressing her disappointment with the silence of the system, she has appealed to the Prime Minister to constitute a high-level committee on women’s safety in Delhi comprising of the Union home minister, the lieutenant governor, the chief minister, the police commissioner and the DCW representatives to take effective decisions on women’s safety issues.
“Having fast track courts in the city is the need of the hour so that rapists are punished forthwith. Also, there is a need to upgrade the delivery mechanism of the forensic department as well as the accountability of the police,” Ms Jaihind wrote in the letter.
She also pointed out th Nirbhaya fund, created to ensure safety of women and provide relief to the victims, is unutilised till date. The states have States for judicious use and is remaining unused till date. She has urged the PM to devolve the fund immediately to the states failing which the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao programme will lose relevance. She said that it is sinful that fund meant for women’s safety lies unutilised.
