Bengaluru, Aug 9: National Commission for Women chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Sunday called for time-bound trials in heinous crimes against women and urged courts to ensure that victims and their families do not have to repeatedly approach the judiciary for relief already granted.
Speaking at the valedictory ceremony of the south zone regional conference on “Justice for Women” here, she highlighted the 2022 Shraddha Walkar murder case, describing it as a “painful example” of how justice can be delayed for years.
Recalling the brutal murder of the young woman, she said her body was cut into pieces, kept in a refrigerator, and later thrown on various streets of Delhi.
“The victim’s father died in February last year while waiting for justice for his daughter. He passed away without seeing justice being delivered. Her grandmother has also passed away,” the NCW chairperson said.
She said the victim’s aunt travels from Mumbai to Delhi every time there is a hearing, which has been repeatedly postponed on grounds of dental treatment, psychiatric treatment and exams of the accused, who was pursuing a master’s degree in sociology.
“Now, the citizen of the country is asking whether a sociology exam or dental check-up of the accused, who did a cold-blooded, brutal murder, is so important that justice cannot be delivered for four years. We need to be sensitive in such cases and introspect. Are we really giving justice to the victim and her family? Providing justice is important, but ensuring the trust in the eyes of citizens that justice is being delivered is more important,” Rahatkar said.
The NCW chairperson also cited another recent case in Maharashtra’s Nasrapur, where a three-year-old girl was brutally sexually assaulted and murdered by a 65-year-old habitual offender.
“I would appreciate that the police and judiciary worked very effectively in this case. A 1,200-page charge sheet was filed within 16 days of the incident, and a special POCSO court in Pune tried the matter on a fast-track basis, where the court sentenced him to death by hanging, classifying the offence as falling within the rarest of rare category, in just 56 days,” she said.
Rahatkar said the two cases were contrasting examples showing that if investigation agencies and the judiciary decide to provide justice, it can be delivered within days.
“I want to urge you that at least in heinous cases of crimes against women, the trial may be conducted and concluded, if not within days, at least within a few months, so that the victim and her family feel that justice has been delivered in a timely manner,” she said.
Emphasising that the judiciary is the last resort for anyone, and that it is even more difficult for many women, she said the justice process must make survivors feel supported, respected and protected, not intimidated or distressed.
“Sensitivity strengthens rather than weakens the justice system. Timely decisions, respectful courtroom conduct, and protection of privacy are essential for building trust,” she said.
She also suggested that courts periodically review whether their orders are being effectively implemented, noting that a woman’s struggle does not necessarily end when a court awards her maintenance.
“I urge our courts to use their existing powers of attachment and contempt proactively, so that a woman is not compelled to return repeatedly to seek enforcement of an order of maintenance already passed in her favour,” she added.
Addressing the gathering, Andhra Pradesh High Court Chief Justice Lisa Gill said virtual violence against women must be met with “swift real-life consequences”, warning that the digital world should not become a safe haven for perpetrators hiding behind screens.
“In this vastly unknown space, women are targeted by, if I may use the term, weaponization of data, viral spread of non-consensual, maybe intimate images, relentless cyber stalking, deep fakes. This demon stares at us,” Gill said.
She said the trauma caused by online abuse is “devastatingly real” despite the digital medium being virtual.
Calling for effective use of existing laws, she said the Information Technology Act and updated criminal laws must work together to ensure perpetrators face consequences for virtual offences.
Meanwhile, Supreme Court Judge Justice V Mohana said justice for women must go beyond protection and focus on securing their equality, dignity, autonomy and freedom, stressing that the Constitution requires institutions to see women as equal constitutional citizens.
“Do our Constitution, do our institutions, see women as equal constitutional citizens, or merely as persons requiring protection? The Constitution always demanded and meant the former, and the distinction actually lies at the heart of the constitutional journey,” she said.
Mohana also highlighted the need for better infrastructure and working conditions for women in the legal profession, including safe court complexes, functional washrooms, childcare facilities, accessible workspaces and secure working conditions. (PTI)
