Tamil Nadu - Cuddalore   

"Police atrocities against women continue"

Special Correspondent

There is no means for victims to get justice, says Vasanthi Devi

CUDDALORE: The former chairperson of Tamil Nadu Women's Commission, Vasanthi Devi, has deplored that police atrocities against women continue, but there is no way for the victims to get justice.

During her two-year tenure as the head of the commission, she received a slew of complaints against the police. In fact, such petitions outnumbered those against dowry harassment, she said, speaking at the Cultural Night-2006 organised here on Saturday to mark the culmination of the "Campaign against torture" launched by the People's Watch-Tamil Nadu.

Karuppi, an Arundadiar woman, was tortured and murdered in the Sivagangai police station. She represented the case in many forums, but to no avail, she said. Though there was some action against erring officials in other departments, the police personnel did not seem to have any accountability.

Ms. Vasanthi Devi faulted the investigation methods adopted by the police. All they knew was to capture suspects and subject them to torture, and this reflected on the kind of training the personnel got. Citizens all over the country should have experienced some kind of torture at certain point of time or witnessed such atrocities perpetrated in the name of religion, economic disparity, family disputes or untouchability. Schools turned out to be places of torture. Instead of holding its head in shame, India was aspiring to get into the Security Council of the United Nations Organisation and field a candidate for the post of the U.N. Secretary-General.

She wondered how India that had not ratified the Convention Against Torture and many other conventions on human rights could try to occupy the most elevated position in the world.

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