Women activists see Yogi’s ‘posters of sexual offenders’ move as face saving design

Sep 25, 2020

Lucknow:The Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to put up posters of sexual offenders has failed to impress women activists, as they believe that the government instead of naming and shaming such persons on roads, should rather focus on increasing the conviction rate in such cases.

The move has also not gone down well with law experts, who say that the state has no right to declare someone as guilty before one is finally pronounced so by the apex court.

In a bid to control the rising graph of sexual assaults in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued orders to put up posters of sexual offenders on prominent roads of the state. After receiving criticism from different quarters over the security of women, he announced on Thursday that in cases of crime against women, local police such as the Station House Officer or Circle Officer will be responsible.

Going by the logic, the Yogi government should have put up posters of accused Chinmayananda and Kuldeep Singh Sengar of BJP too, says All Indian Progressive Women Association . Local Secretary of the Association Meena Singh pointed out that right wing activists, including BJP leaders, took out rallies in support of rapists in Kathua gang-rape case.

She said putting up posters would not ensure justice to women. Yogi should punish the police officials who would not register cases on complaints of the victims and delay in collecting evidence from crime sites. The accused save themselves with the alleged support of the local police, she said.

According to a senior member of All India Democratic Women Association Madhu Garg, if the Uttar Pradesh government is serious to curb crimes against women, it should implement Swami Rangnath Committee recommendations in the state. Such crimes would not be curbed until the conviction rate goes up in these cases, she added.

Commenting on Yogi’s order of displaying pictures of the accused at public places, she said that it is a face saving exercise as the government has failed to provide security to women in UP.

Similar views are expressed by social activist Tahira Hasan, who said that it was impossible to ensure justice without increasing the conviction rate in cases of sexual assault.

In 2020, the conviction rate is much lower than what it was in 1975, she added. Tahira Hasan said that in many instances, police show laxity in registering cases of sexual assault, so it would be better for the Chief Minister to issue directions to his officers to take prompt action rather thn putting posters and hoardings. This is not a solution of problem and not a substitute for setting up setting up a fast track court to ensuring justice for victims of molestation and rapes etc, she added.

Human Right Lawyer Shubhangi Singh said that to ensure justice to the victims of sexual criem was not possible without dealing with such cases on time and with scientific methods. Putting up posters of the accused is against the law, she added. According to Shubhangi Singh, sometime Police takes as long as period of 3 years to register the cases. In such circumstances ensuring justice to the victim becomes very difficult. Government must ensure prompt action in cases of sexual violence and issue direction to police to file chargesheet on time.

Another famous law expert Syed Mohamnad Haider also criticised the government for its decision to put up posters of the accused. He said that this is against the law and it would lead to tyranny. Syed Mohamnad Haider also added that governments have no right to declare any one guilty, until apex court pronounces its final verdict declaring the accused as a culprit.

Media reports quoting the recent data of national crime records bureau (NCRB) said that in 2018 the state reported 17,220 cases of sexual offences including 41 cases of murder after rape, 3,946 cases of rape including 1,353 cases of rape with minor girls, 661 attempt to rape cases including 144 with minors, 12,555 cases of assault with intent to outrage modesty of women and 17 cases of insult to modesty of women.

—INDIA NEWS STREAM