The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Number of dowry cases goes up

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Saturday, Jan 19, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Number of dowry cases goes up

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: The number of registered cases related to dowry and sexual harassment of women has increased in the State after the implementation of the Domestic Violence Act, 2005, according to Girija Vyas, Chairperson, National Commission for Women.

Addressing presspersons after a meeting with non-governmental organisations and officials of the Women and Child Welfare Department here on Friday, Dr. Vyas said that 192 dowry cases and 221 sexual harassment cases had been registered in the State in the last three months. The Act came into force on October 26, 2006. The number of such registered cases was less than 100 earlier.

To punish those involved in molestation and eve-teasing, the commission drafted a comprehensive sexual harassment bill and submitted it to the Union Government a year ago. The bill was aimed to increase punishment to the guilty and provide compensation to victims, she said.

She lauded the implementation of the Act in the State and instructed the department officials to launch more awareness programmes for its effective enforcement and speedy disposal of cases.

For providing legal, medical and financial aid and protect the interests of women, a notification was issued last year to enable organisations to register themselves as service providers. As many as 169 proposals have been received from various organisations and 21 of them were notified as service providers, Dr. Vyas said.

Women are getting justice under the Act within the stipulated period of 60 days. The Police Department has started two special cells for the purpose, secretary of the Women and Child Welfare Department, Shalini Rajneesh, said.

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