National Commission for Women calls for gender-sensitive justice

Vijaya Rahatkar, Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), has called for gender-sensitive justice and greater consistency in how courts handle sexual offences. She raised concerns regarding recent High Court decisions where the severity of crimes appeared to be diluted by interpreting actions under less severe penal provisions rather than as attempts to commit rape.

Rahatkar cited two specific cases: one from the Patna High Court involving an intruder entering a widow's home, and another from the Allahabad High Court involving the pulling of a victim's drawstring. In the Patna case, the court ruled the act constituted outraging modesty rather than an attempt to commit rape due to a lack of evidence regarding undressing or penetration. The NCW emphasized the need for clarity in distinguishing between 'preparation' and 'attempt' in sexual offences to maintain public confidence in the justice system.