Judiciary steps in to keep Kashmiri women safe

In the backdrop of the brutal Delhi gang rape, a court in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir has passed wide ranging instructions to the district administration, police and transporters to prevent violence and harassment against women.

Chairing a meeting of district legal services authority, Principal District and Sessions judge Abdul Rashid Malik directed passenger vehicle owners in the district to get their vehicles registered with the nearest police stations.

"Besides, the drivers and conductors of all types of passenger vehicles shall display their name and contact numbers in bold at conspicuous places both inside and outside their vehicle," an official statement said.

"The operators shall maintain the record of all types of vehicles carrying women passengers supposed to depart after 5 pm with place of departure, timing, destination, vehicle number and name of the driver. These registers shall be checked frequently by the assistant regional transport officer (ARTO) and the police," the statement said.

"The ARTO shall conduct awareness camps across the district and notify the help line numbers for registering any complaint of sexual harassment on road side or any public place," the statement issued after the meeting said.

"The stray vehicles or moving vehicles without letter of authority shall not be allowed to operate in the district."

"All suggestive pictures, posters, graffiti, poetry and innuendo written on the public vehicles shall be removed immediately."

"The movement of the police at all vulnerable places of the district shall be increased and the vehicles supposed to be departing after 5 pm shall be checked more rigorously."

"All sector heads shall constitute anti sexual harassment committees in their respective offices with at least one lady member and preferably to be headed by a lady official."

"The tuition centres across the district shall ensure separate classes for girl students and shall keep their timing after 7 am and before 4 pm"       

This is for the first time that judiciary in Jammu and Kashmir has passed direction like this to protect women.