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New Delhi.. People have no fear of the law, and are losing trust in the police, calling for a systemic overhaul to ensure gender justice.
Firebrand human rights activist and noted advocate Abha Singh lashed out at the entire system that has failed to provide safety and security to the mothers and sisters of the country, who are living in fear as a woman is raped every 15 minutes. She demanded that it is high time the police force be freed from political masters. She shared her anger at an event organized by Nirmala Niketan College of Social Work, situated in Churchgate. The college held an event named "Stand In Solidarity," which was attended by students, social workers, and other academicians.
Before the event, students observed two minutes of silence, offering condolences to the deceased medical trainee doctor in Kolkata, who was brutally killed on August 9th.
Explaining the case, Adv Abha Singh, who has been vehemently fighting for gender justice in society, drew parallels to the Vishakha Guidelines and the Bhanwari Devi case, which set a precedent in the contemporary history of gender equality. She highlighted the pathetic condition of safety and security in the Kolkata medical college premises, which even the Supreme Court noticed, lashing out at both the college administration and the city police.
Expressing her extreme disappointment, she pointed out that despite a violent history, the rapist received full support and access from the city police and college administration, allowing him to act with impunity. "The rapist, who was on the payroll of the civic police volunteer force, raped and brutally killed the medical trainee doctor girl, then went home, washed clothes to wipe out the evidence, while the college authorities remained clueless, attempting to paint the incident as a suicide."
She further added, "The victim's parents were crying, referring to the incident as rape, but college authorities were desperately trying to dub it a suicide. This is something we can never forget.
She underscored the bigger issue—that girls are killed by partners because they do not fear the law, despite the existence of stringent laws. Out of 100 rapists, 70 go scot-free. According to a government report, an average of one woman reports a rape every 15 minutes. A total of 32,303 cases of rape were reported in 2022, accounting for about 7.3% of the total crimes against women.
Adv. Abha Singh criticized the police's reluctance to file FIRs and the lack of accessible language in FIR copies for victims. Lashing out at the slow pace of the judicial system, she emphasized the need to expedite the entire system to achieve speedy justice. She pointed out the laxity on all fronts and held politicians responsible for the flawed system, referring to Mahatma Gandhi's quote, "Be the change you want to see."
Terming corruption as the mother of all misdeeds, she underlined that unless we fight against it, we won't be able to enact systemic change in society. "We must forget the 'Chalta Hai' attitude. We need to feel from the bottom of our hearts, introspect ourselves, and question the government on every accountable issue. We need to ask why there are no toilets, why no restrooms...," she emphasized.
She also addressed the issue of honor killings, calling it another blot on gender justice that needs to be resolved with urgency. She highlighted that 4,473 cases involving the murder of women were reported, constituting approximately 1% of the total crimes against women. Additionally, she noted that 7,165 cases of dowry deaths were reported, accounting for roughly 1.6% of the total crimes against women.
Furthermore, Adv. Abha Singh mentioned that the top three states by the number of crimes against women are Uttar Pradesh, with approximately 65,743 cases; Maharashtra, with around 45,331 cases; and Delhi, with about 14,247 cases. These states include significant numbers of rapes, kidnappings, and dowry deaths. The kidnapping and abduction of women also remains a major concern, with 68,831 cases reported, making up about 15.5% of the total crimes against women.
At the end of the session, Adv. Abha Singh responded to questions posed by the attendees, reinforcing the urgency of systemic reform to ensure justice and safety for women across the country.
