Bengaluru: The home ministry and the committee headed by ruling party MLC V S Ugrappa constituted to suggest amendments to existing laws for prevention of sexual attacks on women and children seem to be on a collision course with the ministry fixing December 31 as deadline for the committee to submit its report.
While replying to a BJP member, home minister Dr G. Parameshwar told the Legislative Council on Friday that the committee’s term would end on December 31, and the government expected the report by then.
Interestingly, the order issued May 27, 2015, did not fix any deadline for the committee. The order was explicit only on the issue of according cabinet rank to Mr Ugrappa. When contacted, Mr Ugrappa, after examining the appointment order, told DC the government had not mentioned any deadline or term for the committee. “The announcement made by the home minister came as a surprise for me too,” he added.
The government had, on May 30 2014, constituted the 29-member committee headed by JD (S) leader M.C. Nanaiah. However, Mr Nanaiah resigned on March 12, 2015. Later, Mr Ugrappa was appointed chairman. However, he said the committee intended to submit an interim report by next month. Asked whether the committee would seek an extension, he evaded direct reply and said.
He said he would visit coastal districts to study the plight of women, cases of atrocity on women and children before drawing up the report. One of the main reasons he found during the committee’s visit to Hyderabad-Karnataka region was conviction of rape cases was abysmally low. “In more than 95 per cent cases, rape cases reached a dead end with witnesses turning hostile. Under section 376 of IPC, witnesses turning hostile, too, is an offence. So, the police have to initiate action against those who turn hostile. Wherever we visited, we observed that police did nothing. All these aspects will be covered in the interim report,” Mr Ugrappa added.
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