Contents
Incident
Social Reaction
Arrests & Trial
Results of Protest
Legal Perspective
Nirbhaya Fund
INCIDENT OF 16/12
A 23-year-old girl, along with her male friend was returning home after
watching a movie.
A private bus stops in front of them. A minor tells them that the bus is
going towards their destination. Trusting him, the two board that bus.
The bus was occupied by six men, including the driver.
Few minutes later, the bus deviates from its path and the bus occupants
lock the doors. The friend of the girl questions the driver. They in turn
pass lewd comments at the two for roaming late in the night. When her
friend questioned, they beat him up badly with an iron rod rendering
him unconscious.
Next, they beat up the girl, dragged her to the rear of the bus and raped
her. The woman tried her best to fight off the criminals but in vain. Such
was the brutality of the crime that a rusted iron rod was inserted into
her GENITALS and pulled out with so much force that the act brought
out her INTESTINES also. The criminals then threw them out of the bus.
SOCIAL REACTION
As the headlines and breaking news flashed across the media next day,
the entire nation and world community at large was OUTRAGED
Millions of people came out in streets in
protest against the Government of India
and the Delhi government for not
providing adequate security to women.
The protesters braved lathis…
And tear gas shells….
And water cannons…….
Candlelight - marches
were taken out daily by
people of all age Groups.
Bollywood fraternity too came out in streets
demanding justice.
Each day people came ….demand death for the rapist.
And prayed for the girl and her family…
ARRESTS & TRIAL
Six men were arrested in connection with the incident. They included Ram
Singh, the bus driver, and his brother, Mukesh Singh, who were both
arrested in Rajasthan. Vinay Sharma, an assistant gym instructor, and Pawan
Gupta, a fruit seller, were both arrested in Delhi. A seventeen year old
juvenile from Uttar Pradesh, referred to as Raju, was arrested at the
Anand Vihar terminal in Delhi and Akshay Thakur, who had come to Delhi
seeking employment, was arrested in Aurangabad.
All the accused were
arrested and charged with
sexual assault and murder.
After the Courts decision
all four men faced the death
penalty, and demonstrators
outside the courthouse called
for the hanging of the
defendants.
RESULTS OF PROTEST
On December 29, the entire nation got a rude shock when they
came to know that the girl was NO MORE….
But her death was not in vain. She had awakened the conscience of all.
Given different names like
NIRBHAYA (the fearless one),
JAGRUTI (awareness) and
DAMINI (lightning),
she has become a rallying point
for fighting for security of
women.
LEGAL IMPACT
The Justice Verma Committee have proposed some reforms in management
. of cases of crimes against women.These include :
• Fast-Track Courts have been set-up for resolving cases of sexual
violence .
• A Complainant is now able to file an FIR online.
• A Rape Crisis Cell has been set-up.The Cell should be immediately
notified when an FIR in relation to Sexual Assault is made.
• Phones & Watches with a special button to alert the police of a crime
have been made.
• Separation of powers within the police to ensure a fair and quick action.
• A “one stop center” in one hospital in each zone of the cities to provide
comprehensive medical attention to a rape victim.
• Better coordination between the police and the transport department
to track illegal public transportation licenses.
• Lowering the age of juveniles to sixteen.
The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013
• It gave a broader meaning to the term rape and defined it as any
involuntary and forceful penetration without the woman’s consent into
the woman’s body parts especially genitals.
• It has strengthened anti-rape laws.
• It also strengthened punishments for sexual violence crimes.
•The ordinance provides death penalties to the accused in case of
rape.
MANY SLOGANS WERE RAISED
• “Touching a girl without her consent doesn’t make you a
Man , it makes a COWARD.”
•“Girls should not be used, they are not OBJECTS.”
• “Girls are made to FLY,
not to CRY.”
• “Gender discrimination
should be uprooted”
The Nirbhaya gang rape was definitely the spark that ignited the fire for
women’s rights and women’s safety. But sadly, the fire was short lived. The
public outrage died in a few months, and with it, women’s issues took their
usual place in the daily agenda.
POLITICAL IMPACT
• Special Women Bus service has been started in
.many cities.
• Special Coaches have been added in Trains &
Metros.
• Announcement of the Nirbhaya Fund.
NIRBHAYA FUND
As a reaction to the public outrage and reaction, the then Finance Minister,
P. Chidambaram, allocated a lot of money for tackling women’s issues and
announced the “Nirbhaya Fund”
Implementation of the Nirbhaya Fund :
• There had been proposals to put GPS trackers in trains, buses
and such public transport, train stations etc. About Rs.1000 Crore was
allotted to this.
• A women’s helpline has been started, but it is not accessible to most
rural areas.
• One Stop Centres for rape victims exist just one paper.
• Central Victim’s Compensation Fund has been set with a budget of
Rs.200 Crores. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have never withdrawn from the
same.
• The broad points about the implementation of the scheme again highlights
how the Nirbhaya movement was a fad, and although the public and the
government is still aware of the state of women in India, not much is being
done for the same.
BUT DESPITE REFORMS ACROSS SECTORS ,
NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED .
•The Supreme Court was told in February that
the Nirbhaya Fund still remains unused,
despite the court repeatedly prodding the
government.
•"Fast-track" rape courts in Delhi
had a backlog of 3,487 cases as of August'16
In Kerala, pending rape cases are10-12 years
old.
• Marital rape still isn't an offence
• MEANWHILE, CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN KEEP ON
INCREASING (24,293 RAPES IN 2012, TO 34,651 IN
2015).
How safe are women
really?
Let us put a stop to rapes…
The day a man raises
his hand on a woman,
he is no more a man.
“Don’t teach WOMEN
not to get raped,
instead teach MEN
not to rape”
The whole education system
is based on making us good
Doctor & Engineer
Is it making us a Good Human Being?
Ask Yourself And Reflect How?
Let us pay a tribute to
Nirbhaya and salute her
courage, resilience, dignity
and determination to live.
JEET.D.SHAH
