P Chidambaram came down heavily on police and the judiciary on Tuesday for treating women victims of crime shabbily.
In Question Hour remarks in Lok Sabha, the Union home minister accused police and courts of not following ministry guidelines in dealing with sensitive cases involving women.
“There are very strict guidelines on how a case [crime against women] should be investigated and [accused] prosecuted. I agree the guidelines are not followed in some cases by police, prosecutors and judges,” he said.
Chidambaram said the Centre had asked all state governments to follow the guidelines, so that women victims of crime do not suffer unnecessarily. He agreed that some women tourists had faced molestation in the country, but denied that India was unsafe for women.
“For the safety and security of tourists, the Centre has issued guidelines. Some states have even formed tourism police forces,” Chidambaram said, adding, “Housemaids also need special attention as they face sexual assaults and often become quiet victims. We need to educate them on the dangers they face.”
The minister said the guidelines included thorough investigation and filing of a charge sheet against accused within three months of a crime, medical examination in cases of rape without delay, creation of special cells for women in police stations, women judges to hear cases of crime against women, recording statements of women victims at their homes and in the presence of their parents, relatives or women social workers and in-camera hearings of cases involving women.
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