KOZHIKODE: Marital discord topped the list of complaints filed at the sitting of the Kerala State Women's Commission here on Monday.

The panel is headed by D. Sreedevi and has T. Devi and P.K. Sainaba as members. This was the panel's first sitting in Kozhikode since its constitution a few weeks ago.

T. Devi and P.K. Sainaba, who presided over Monday's sitting, said in as many as five complaints the opposite party failed to appear.

In one case, an officer concerned was asked to examine the complaint relating to alleged harassment of a mother and daughter by the former's son.

In one, the Commission intervened to assist the families concerned to arrive at an agreement on the custody of a four-year-old child whose mother had committed suicide allegedly due to harassment at her husband's house.

The families agreed that the child would spend his holidays with the father's family while the mother's parents would have the child's custody otherwise.

The father also deposited Rs.one lakh in the name of the child, registered 20 cents in the child's name besides returning a major part of the jewellery of his wife.

In another complaint, the wife alleged that her husband was mentally deranged and she was unable to live with him and hence sought divorce.

The panel directed the couple to approach the Family Court as the husband was averse to divorce.

Of the 20 petitions that were examined by the Commission, settlement was arrived at in as many as ten cases, while two were referred to the State Legal Services Authority.

On a query on the action taken by the Women's panel in the alleged instance of a teacher at a school in Nadapuram resorting to sexual abuse of girl students, the panel members said the Commission had suo motu taken cognisance of the case based on newspaper reports and had also sought a copy of the police report of the complaint.

Ms. Sainaba said a Government Order was sought by the panel with regard to setting up of Jagratha Samithis at the Local Self-Government Institutions level so that grievances of women at the grassroots level can be addressed in a speedy manner.

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