The Hindu : Front Page : Nirmala Venkatesh removed from NCW

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Saturday, Feb 28, 2009
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Nirmala Venkatesh removed from NCW

Aarti Dhar

NEW DELHI: Nirmala Venkatesh, member of the National Commission for Women, was on Friday removed from her office for failing to conduct an unbiased enquiry into the Mangalore pub attack on girls last month by the Sri Ram Sene activists. She was away in Bangalore on Friday.

Ms. Venkatesh’s report on the attack was not accepted by the Commission for several inadequacies and she was also criticised for going public with her findings before submitting it. Her doing so was outside her mandate and the rights of a member, said a notification issued here by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

In her report, Ms. Venkatesh blamed the owner of the pub for not providing security to women guests, and recommended suspension of its licence. While claiming that she was unable to trace the victims, Ms. Venkatesh met the accused in jail to seek their help in locating the girls. At one point in time, she even suggested that women refrain from wearing “skimpy” and provocative dresses.

When her report was not accepted by the Commission, Ms. Venkatesh even challenged the authority of Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Chowdhury.

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