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Tamil Nadu
By K.T. Sangameswaran
The irony is that soon after the ghastly incident, the police registered a case under Section 306 of IPC (abetment to suicide), according to reports here. Senior police officers themselves agree that the initial enthusiasm displayed by the police to put down eve-teasing, soon after the killing of the Ethiraj College student, Sarika Shah, here in July 1998, has disappeared and there has been no concerted effort. Even as per official records, there was an increase in the number of crimes against women last year, 6,077, up from 4,939 the previous year. The official reason is that "during 2002, as a result of willingness on the part of victims to prefer complaints more freely and confidently, a total of 6,077 cases" were reported. Soon after the Sarika Shah tragedy and the consequent public outcry, the Government, as a face-saving measure, enacted the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Eve Teasing Act in 1998. While sentencing the accused in the case to five-year rigorous imprisonment and a fine, a judge clearly sent a message to the police that the "act was nothing short of barbaric as the accused harassed a young girl and threatened her modesty, ultimately causing her death". But soon after the gruesome incident, the police registered a case of "road traffic accident". It was altered into a case of murder, following press reports. But eve-teasing continues, sometimes bordering on physical abuse. Among the major incidents was throwing of acid on two sisters of Meika Mandapam, Nagercoil, in August 2001 after they had been constantly harassed by a couple of local boys. More shameful was a January 2002 incident, in which a woman constable was teased by three persons at Kathivakkam, near here. Unable to put up with eve-teasing, a 14-year-old girl committed suicide at Balethottan in Dharmapuri district in February this year. In Chennai, organised hooliganism, particularly by college students, aboard MTC buses is not uncommon. Still worse, the police turn a blind eye to the crime. "There is only reactive rather than pro-active policing. At times, even reactive policing is absent. We allow a serious situation to develop and then think of strategies to maintain law and order", laments a Deputy Inspector-General. An apparent police lethargy was evident at Turaiyur, near Tiruchi, where last July a group clash occurred following an eve-teasing incident and the police opened fire to disperse a mob which attacked them. "Laws are there, but they are not being implemented. There is only a knee-jerk reaction by police to any particular situation. A concerted effort to put an end to the menace is lacking", explains U. Vasuki, general secretary, All-India Democratic Women's Association. In the newly-introduced Act, the imprisonment period and fine have been increased. The legislation also provides for the accused paying a compensation to victims. However, the police, besides betraying ignorance of the special law, do not treat eve-teasing complaints seriously. In some cases, witnesses do not speak about the incident. Victims are afraid of repercussions of preferring complaints. "This situation can be easily avoided if sustained measures to keep the crime under check are taken", says a police officer.
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