The recent barbaric incident of rape and murder of Priyanka Reddy, a 27-year-old veterinarian doctor of Hyderabad has stunned the entire country. After the 2012 Delhi rape case whenever we hear about sexual assault the first name that comes to our mind is Nirbhaya. But we should not forget that the Nirbhaya case was not the first case of violence against women. The sexual harassment is victimizing women for centuries both in domestic and in the outer space. It is the power of information and technology revolution and the increased usage of media by the people that the Nirbhaya case gained a high momentum.
The government felt the seriousness of the crime because of the brutality of the Nirbhaya case and took several initiatives to redress such crimes.
1. A three-membered committee was formed immediately under the head of Justice Verma which submitted its historic report with several recommendations.
2. One of the recommendations was to amend the criminal law under the Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code to set up speedy trials in such crimes considering its grave nature.
3. Rigorous imprisonment of not less than 20 years, more than 20 years in the grave cases, and life imprisonment in the cases of rape and murder were proposed.
4. A corpus fund of 1000 crores was announced in the budget session of 2013 to set up preventive and redressal mechanisms for the safety of the women.
5. The police were directed to register such cases without any delay and take immediate action.
6. Sexual harassment of women (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013 was passed.
7. The complaints and redressal committees were to be formed in workspaces employing women employees to prevent such crimes in the work area.
8. Mobile phone manufacturers were directed to install SOSs and emergency numbers as the default procedures.
9. The highway patrols, ambulances, fire services are directed to be always ready for rescue.
10. The Kanpur Ordinance factory manufactured a lightweight minigun for the defense purpose of the women.
In spite of taking all the above-said initiatives, the National Crime Bureau Record has shown that there is no decrease in sexual assaults. One more brutal example is the case of Priyanka Reddy. On 27th November evening, she was returning from the hospital to her home which was a daily routine. As she was passing by the Tondupally toll plaza her bike got punctured. She felt embarrassed to stand by the plaza and started moving with the punctured bike without knowing that she is being watched by the accused.
She called upon her sister and informed about the situation and was advised by her sister to wait near the plaza. But she replied that she has started moving because she felt awkward to stand near the plaza. The four men approached her in the disguise of helping her. Priyanka informed her sister that she is suspicious about the men but is left with no choice. In a few minutes, the line was disconnected and found switched off when her sister called her.
The next day the police were informed about a burnt dead body in the area of Shamshabad by the public. It was found that the accused gang-raped Priyanka and set ablaze her body. Her family was left in a grave shock. From the collected CCTV footages the police arrested the four men and the sexual assault and murder case has been registered and the investigation is going on. The prime suspect is a lorry driver accompanied by a cleaner and two men who preplanned the crime by seeing the lonely Priyanka with the punctured bike.
Justice can be delivered for the crime legally but cannot calm the mental agony of the family of Priyanka. What is more essential in such cases is the safety precautions that women should take before the happening of the crime. The toll may not be a safer place but comparatively better to stay there for help instead of moving to a darker place not much movement of people. Seeking strangers’ help is not at all advisable instead one has to call for the highway patrol, ambulances or fire services who can reach them immediately.
The women must understand that being courageous is necessary but being cautious is more important. One must carry pepper spray, a sharp small knife, and a torchlight always in the bag. The quick and easy protective step is to speed dial for emergency services and SOSs through mobiles and not to forget to keep the location settings enabled. The family should support the women to learn self-defense along with education as a compulsory one. Avoiding risks is a better way to escape and reduce such crimes while the rest of the initiatives comes only next to it.
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