Date:07/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/07/stories/2008090759220700.htm

Andhra Pradesh

More courts needed for speedy disposal of cases

Women being used as ‘tool for exploitation’ say speakers at a round-table

HYDERABAD: A round-table conference on ‘Crimes and white collar offences pertaining to NRI marriages’, organised here on Saturday by V. Hanumantha Rao, MP, called for increasing the number of courts, from the present 339, for speedy disposal of about three lakh pending cases.

Speakers, who included representatives of different political parties, women’s organisations like AP Mahila Samakhya, NGOs and several Muslim organisations, suggested changes in the legal framework for providing deterrent punishment to offenders.

Bandaru Dattatreya, State BJP president, Y.V. Rao, CPI(M) State Committee member, Venumadhav Swamy, spokesperson, Lok Satta Party, B. Kamalakar Rao, Congress member of the Legislative Council, S. Umapathy, Inspector General of Police, and Justice Sardar Ali Khan were among those who addressed the conference. They observed that women were being used as ‘tool for exploitation’, both by the electronic media and men. This needed to be curbed. They praised Mr. Hanumantha Rao ‘for taking up a good cause’.

Increase in cases

Mr. Rao felt that crimes were increasing because of the related stories being telecast by TV channels.

The MP pointed out while telecast of crime stories by TV channels was stopped recently in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh was yet to follow suit although there were provisions in the cable network rules to ban them.

The Congress MP said another conference would be organised here on October 4 and its recommendations forwarded to the Chief Minister and the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister.