Fast track investigation cell necessary to curb crimes against women and children: Acting Chairperson MHRC
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 08 2018: Women Committee- United NGOs Mission Manipur organized a mass rally followed by a public meeting on "Systematically targeted sexual violence and killing of women and children", today.

The rally was flagged off by Manipur Legislative Assembly Speaker Y Khemchand from Top Khongnangmakhong EYDA club.

The rally was taken out along Imphal East DC, Porompat PS before concluding at Nongmeibung community hall where a public meeting was held.

Representatives of Women Committee of different districts along with womenfolk of the area participated in the said meeting.

Meanwhile, Acting Chairperson, MHRC Khaidem Mani, while speaking at the public meeting, conveyed that sexual violence, sexual assault, rape, molestation etc are all violation of human rights and observed that crimes against women and children have increased rapidly in recent times.

He stated that the meeting, with the help of the public, will answer to the rising crimes against women and children.

Observing that a fast track investigation cell is necessary to investigate such crimes, Mani conveyed that setting up of Fast Track Court will not serve its purpose until and unless the investigation process is conducted scientifically, efficiently and promptly.

Thus it is important for the Government sectors, especially the Police Department, to engage more into fast track investigation, apart from the necessary sensitization programmes and movements carried out by different CSOs, NGOs etc, he maintained.

Mani said that serving capital punishment or death penalty is considered as one of the violation of human rights and thus more than 100 countries have abolished the said punishment.

He opined that the serving fitting punishment to a culprit should mean life imprisonment rather than death penalty.

Mani also maintained that there are cases of fake sexual assaults happening in the State which is quite unfortunate.

He stressed on the need to take up proper screening work for those fake cases and underlined the importance of taking up necessary steps for protecting the victims.

Social Scientist Dr Dhanabir Laishram said that Manipur is a land with different cultural practices and traditional events which denotes that the place was once a peaceful land with sufficient resources and materials.

Stating that although the existing law is somewhat successful in fighting such crimes, he said that necessary preventive measures are the need of the hour as crimes are happening systematically while underlining the need to change the fast changing lifestyle of the people.

On the other hand, a representative of Women Committee, Bishnupur District, Rebati stated that a total of 23 women have died without proper reason as per the report of the Bishnupur police station 2015-2018 while eight women lost their lives in 2015-2016, six in 2016-2017 and nine in 2017-18.According to Child Welfare Committee Bishnupur, 58 girls, under the age of 18, have been attended under the POCSO Act in Bishnupur from 2012-2018.Acting chairperson Manipur Human Rights Commission Khaidem Mani, Social Activist Dr Dhanabir Laishram and advocate Rabi Khan attended the meeting as presidium members.

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