Women not weaker sex, observes judge

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, December 21

Delivering the judgement in the infamous gangrape-cum-murder case of a Nepalese woman here today, Additional District and Sessions Judge Seema Singhal observed: “Today is the day of reckoning. I have to perform the judicial duty cast upon me by virtue of my being a judicial officer. Besides being that, I am also a human being and can hear the wails and cries of the women subjected to torture by male counterparts.”

The judge maintained gender bias was still intense. “A will to dominate a woman still exists in their minds. Most of the heinous crimes against women are that result of male chauvinism and committed with a sadistic view of subjugation of a woman,” she remarked.

She asserted the need of the hour was to convey a message in society that women were not the weaker sex and they refuse to bear the insults inflicted upon them.

“We refuse to accept the names Nirbhaya and Damini given to us. Why should we be denied of our own real identity? We are proud of our identity and individuality and nobody has a right to take it away from us. It is for the male counterparts in society to be ashamed of the deeds of their fellow members…” she stated.

Singhal observed the crimes committed on the body of a woman ran deep.

“Today’s judgement will be a step towards giving a message to society that such crimes will be met with a heavy hand and appropriate punishments will be awarded to the perpetrators,” she maintained.

She appreciated the police department, particularly Rohtak Range IGP Shrikant Jadhav, Rohtak SP Shashank Anand, DSP Amit Bhatia, retired Sub-Inspector MI Khan, PSI Rakesh, SI Subhash, PSI Kuldeep among others.