Jammu, Nov 16: The State Women Commission (SWC) Friday accused the J&K Police Department of being non-serious in dealing with the cases of crime against women.
“Without strict and honest action, the grave issue of violence against women cannot be addressed effectively. The Police and Medical departments are two important agencies with whose cooperation and dedication the victims can be provided justice and culprits brought to book,” said chairperson of the J&K Commission for Women, Shamima Firdous.
She was interacting with media persons here. Shamima, who is also the MLA from Habba Kadal constituency in Srinagar, referred to many cases of women harassment, dowry deaths, rape and divorce cases pending with the Police Department, saying the Department has “failed to even lodge FIR in many of such cases.”
Referring to a specific case, she said a 22-year-old Tezim Akhtar wife of Ghulam Rasool Gorsi of Tehsil Mendar of Poonch  district, who died a year ago, was found  by her parents partially charred, with hands and legs tied with a rope. “Her parents submitted photographs of the body and all other important proofs indicating that she was murdered. But the concerned police station didn’t even lodge an FIR against her in-laws,” Shamima alleged, asserting that it was only after the intervention of the Women’s Commission that police lodged the FIR  on 4th of September this year after a lapse of more than four months. “The incident had taken place during the intervening night of 23rd and 24th April,” she said.
She said she wrote a letter to IGP Jammu Dilbagh Singh on 20th of September this year for seeking reports of Forensic Laboratory in a dowry death case but the police department has not submitted the report till date to the Commission. She alleged that most of the times police try to hush-up the cases of violence against women.
She welcomed a recent Court judgment wherein a husband involved in the killing of his pregnant wife at RS Pura Jammu was awarded capital punishment.
She said the heinous crime of violence against women should invoke exemplary punishment under law so that people think hundred times before committing such crimes.
Appreciating the judgment, she said the death sentence has sent a very positive message among public while serving as a deterrent for those indulging in harassing women.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 16 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 17 Nov 2012 00:00:00 IST