'Set up fast track courts to try child molestation cases'

Fast track courts with day-to-day hearings coupled with punishment that acts as deterrents should be put in place to deal with those involved in cases of child molestation, said the father of a victim of molestation who committed suicide.

Speaking to presspersons here on Saturday, he detailed his protracted 19-year-old battle against former Haryana Director General of Police S.P.S.Rathore, who is charged with molestation of his daughter, and said fast and exemplary punishment should be ensured for those like Mr.Rathore.

“The case is with the CBI and we are waiting and hopeful that justice is done. He should be given exemplary punishment and deserves a death sentence for abetting a minor child to commit suicide,” he said. The entire episode stretching for so long only exposed the sorry state of our system which allowed further harassment of victim's family while offering relief for those charged with crime, he said.

The neighbour who stood with the family and supported in the case, said tough punishment for such persons will ensure that other girls do not have to suffer the way the victim had to and commit suicide. “We are networking with NGOs in different parts of the country to fight such instances and offer all possible support from our side,” he said.

Those in high positions should not be allowed to go scot free with their crimes, said the neighbour adding that bureaucracy, legislature and others were seen protecting the victim ‘the criminal and not victims in this unequal battle'.

Police molested Osmania University students: Congress MPs

Congress MPs from Telangana region on Thursday alleged that police entered the girls’ hostel of Osmania University in Hyderabad and molested some of the students. They appealed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to direct the Andhra Pradesh Government to take action against those involved.

The MPs, who met here at the Andhra Bhawan, also dashed off a letter to Ms. Gandhi alleging that Andhra Pradesh police were “committing excesses against students in the Osmania and Kaktiya Universities”.

“Some 2,000 police personnel entered the University campus in Hyderabad on Monday and lathicharged the students who were protesting peacefully. The police dragged the students and beat them up. They even entered girls’ hostel and switched off the lights and molested some of them.”

“We strongly condemn these incidents,” Nizamabad MP Madhu Goud Yaskhi and Pedapalli MP G Vivekanand told reporters here.

Mr. Vivekanand said they have requested Ms. Gandhi to “direct the Chief Minister to transfer the police officials responsible for this repression and form a committee to monitor the situation and bring peace on the campus.”

“We wonder how women can be treated like this in a democracy and that too when the Home Minister of the state (Sabita Indira Reddy) is a woman. The girl students are not safe in the premises,” they alleged.