SC to hear PILs on women's safety & speedy trial of rape cases

Agreeing to examine the issue of proper safety to women and stopping gender discrimination, the Supreme court issued notices to the Centre and all states and also decided to hear another plea for creating fast-track courts for speedy trial of all rape cases.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Altamas Kabir will hear tomorrow the PIL seeking establishment of fast-track courts for trial of rape cases and for suspension of MPs and MLAs who have been charge-sheeted for crime against women.

Meanwhile, another bench of justices P Sathasivam and Ranjan Gogoi issued notices to the Centre and all the states and sought their responses to another PIL by advocate Mukul Kumar, seeking safety measures for women.

Kumar, in his PIL, demanded creation of women police stations in every town to investigate complaints of rape and sexual assault against women and implementation of UN convention on elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.

The court asked the Centre and the states to file their replies within four weeks.

In the backdrop of the nation-wide outrage over December 16 brutal gangrape and murder of a 23-year-old woman in Delhi, who died in a Singapore hospital on December 29, a bench headed by Justice Altamas Kabir agreed to hear tomorrow the PIL, filed by a retired woman lady IAS officer Promilla Shanker for setting up fast track courts across the country for speedy trial of rape cases.

Promilla in her petition also demanded that cases of rape and crime against women and children be investigated by lady police officials and trial be also conducted by lady judges.