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Crimes against women: The time for change is now

Just as the outrage over the gangrape and brutal murder of a 19-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district had begun to wane from popular attention, another case involving a 22-year-old woman has come to light in Kanpur Dehat district of the state on October 18.

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6 years ago

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women protesting against the crime

By Sambhav Sharma and Priyanka Payal

Just as the outrage over the gangrape and brutal murder of a 19-year-old woman in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district had begun to wane from popular attention, another case involving a 22-year-old woman has come to light in Kanpur Dehat district of the state on October 18.

It may be a cliche to say the ever-increasing, and increasingly recurrent, rapes in the country has shaken it to its roots. After the 2012 Nirbhaya case, the laws to deal with crimes against women became more stringent. Less than a decade later, the realities and the surge in the number of crimes against women tell us stringent laws have not reduced the number of cases and the insensitivity towards women-related issues has only increased with time. Women continue to suffer due to deep-rooted prejudices that make them vulnerable to violence and discrimination in society. It would take much longer, like say Vision 2050, if one were to coin a slogan, and act to crack-down on such crimes. But what would happen to women’s security and safety from now to 2050 seems to be anybody’s guess.

The recently released National Crime Records Bureau report, made shocking revelations and threw light on how safe a woman is in India. A total of 4,05,861 cases of crime against women were registered during 2019, showing an increase of 7.3% over 2018 (3,78,236 cases). The majority of cases under crime against women under IPC were registered under cruelty by husband or his relatives (30.9%), followed by an assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty (21.8%), kidnapping; abduction of women (17.9%) and rape (7.9%). The crime rate registered per lakh women in the population is 62.4 in 2019 when compared to 58.8 in 2018, said the report.

The question is: Are laws to curb crimes against women a deterrent against rape? How will the number of cases of crimes against women come down?

Professor Shweta Prasad, department of sociology, Banaras Hindu University, said crimes against women happen because of patriarchal mentality where women’s body/ies are seen as a site of power struggle. While women still need to be empowered, they do not have the power to say what is right and what is wrong many times, she said. Women continue to be raped, especially marital rape, to silence them in the marital home, and take revenge from their family members, Prof Prasad said.

As regards rape as a societal evil, she said, there was a correlation in caste and gender, especially in the cases in Hathras and Budaun. Political parties have emphasised the caste identity to get political mileage, she said. The hierarchical structure is inherently violent in nature because of superior and subordinate mindset. Hence, the poor and the downtrodden are more vulnerable to such crimes, she added.

The way forward is in socialising children in a gender-neutral manner in India as the existent society had failed to give proper socialisation to children. It is the mentality which has to change and it should begin at the family level. Proper socialisation is the solution to all the problems, Prof Prasad said.

NGO SNEHA director Dr Nayreen Daruwala said that most cases of violence against women go unnoticed. “Violence is not a private matter. The Nirbhaya case got nationwide attention but what about the cases which fail to get media attention? The recognition of crimes against women is very low. Gender biases are Protest against the Hathras gangrape and death of the victim, at Jantar Mantar, in New Delhi big reason. We need to challenge the patriarchal nature of Indian society and education, socialisation is where we need to focus the most,” she said.

Protest against the Hathras gangrape and death of the victim, at Jantar mantar, in New Delhi

Speaking of the need to understand the psychopathology of rapists, she said societal sanctions could work as a deterrent but the system needs to be more sensitive towards crimes against women. “Criminals should feel the fear of the law but the law has its loopholes, they get bail,” Dr Daruwala said.

There need to be clear-cut protocols for police, judges that their socialisation would not impact the case. Attitude and behavioural changes is a long-term process but if we make certain protocols, those would lead to some change, she added.

Rekha Sharma, a former judge of Delhi High Court, said that time and again, it had been emphasised that a proper and sincere investigation of the crime was needed. In the recent Hathras case also, there had been so many lapses including the forensics to the post-mortem report, she said. It was also seen that the victim’s family wanted to bury the incident due to the social stigma attached to it, sometimes, the matter ends up at the panchayat level, she said.

The Union Home Ministry on October 10 issued a fresh advisory to states and union territories to follow in cases of crimes against women, especially listing mandatory police action. The ministry said there should be mandatory registration of an FIR in case of a cognisable offence under the Criminal Procedure Code, and if the crime is committed outside the jurisdiction of a police station, the law enables the police to register a Zero FIR.

Nirbhaya case lawyer Jitendra Kumar told APN that there was gross insensitivity involved in crimes against women. Before the case reaches the police station, the victims and their family face societal pressure as there is enormous social stigma associated with rape, irrespective of caste, creed, religion, region, which was one of the major reasons for non-reporting of the crime. People try to build social pressure  on the victim’s family to marry off the victim to the rapist in the name of compromise, he added.

Now, if the matter reached the police station, the male dominance in the station lacks sensitivity about the crime. When the victims’ family reaches the police station, the so-called police justice system steps in, they talk of compromise or try to settle the matter with the accused person, Jitendra Kumar added.

When the report is converted into an FIR, the statement of the victim should be filed under Section 164 of the CrPC,which gives power to the metropolitan magistrate or the judicial magistrate to record confession and statements during the course of the investigation. But the police register statement under Section 164 CrPC very rarely, Kumar said.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra meeting the family of the Hathras victim

There’s no time-limit to file a chargesheet or to make an arrest with the entire discretion resting with the police. Within 90 days of the arrest of the first accused, the chargesheet is to be filed. This law favours the accused and not the victim, Kumar said. There was no defined process and lack of complete transparency, there were no checks, he said. Suggesting changes, Kumar said the statement should be taken in the presence of a third person/official. Moreover, the witness’ security was so weak that they are vulnerable to pressure from everyone. For this reason alone, most people don’t go to court to testify, he said.

If the matter comes to the limelight, the victim gets compensation but most cases go unreported. This was very subjective hence the laws needed to be amended, Kumar added.

Listing loopholes, like in the 2019 Hyderabad case where the four accused were encountered, he said police should not be given such powers to eliminate criminals. The criminals must and only be punished through prescribed law.

The way forward lies in the infusion of technology in the system like phone recording, tracking the investigative officer, putting certain checks and balances on police among others, Kumar said. 

Kumar did add that there was another side to the story. With female-centric laws being made stringent, they were liable to be misused. In a rape case, on the basis of a mere statement of the woman, the man can be punished, he added.  

Hathras Gangrape Case: Protesters at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar

The police themselves work under incomprehensible pressure, are poorly paid, have generally tough living conditions and, worst of all, are usually beholden to corrupt and venal superiors. All of which make police reforms the top priority. But like the cliche of India shaken to its roots, police reform is a topic mouthed whenever there is a ghastly crime but forgotten quickly afterward.

In 2017, India had 131 police officers per 1,00,000 people; that is lower than the sanctioned number (181), and much lower than the number recommended by the United Nations (222). The Second Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) has noted that this power has been misused, and ministers have used police forces for personal and political reasons.  Hence, experts have recommended that the scope of the political executive’s power must be limited under law. In a country like India, police forces need to be well-equipped, in terms of personnel, weaponry, forensic technology, communication and transport support, to perform their role well.

Nirbhaya’s mother Asha Devi said the condition of law and order in the country was poor and the system needed reforms: from the grassroots level to the top. In rape cases when the victim is already facing mental trauma, the police behave insensitively when the victim reaches the police station, she said.

Most times, the FIR is filed much later after the crime is reported, and not immediately. Speaking about legal challenges, she said lawyers in lower courts are very insensitive in what they ask from the victim’s family. “We talk about fast-track court, but it took over seven years to get justice for Nirbhaya in a fast-track court. Justice needs to be done in a time-bound manner,” she added. Admitting that media scrutiny played a pivotal role in the process, Asha Devi wondered what happens to those cases which fail to get media attention.

Read Also: Crime against women: Centre advisory on mandatory action

Professor Rakesh Pandey, Psychology department, BHU, suggested psychological autopsy, psychological profiling of criminals to understand their state of mind in the hope that it could help track potential criminals ahead. He said there was a need for mass scale psychological education which is lacking in society now.

Curbing crimes against women is not just the responsibility of governments but is also society’s collective responsibility. This could start with reforms, change in the patriarchal mindset and other behavioural changes, which though look like long-term processes, would need definite short-term plans in place.

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PM Modi’s Indonesia visit to boost defence, digital and strategic partnership

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Indonesia visit is expected to strengthen bilateral ties through new initiatives in defence, digital infrastructure, maritime security, trade and critical minerals.

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4 hours ago

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July 6, 2026

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PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Indonesia is expected to give fresh momentum to the growing strategic partnership between the two countries, with discussions likely to cover defence cooperation, maritime security, digital connectivity, trade, critical minerals and several other sectors.

India’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Sandeep Chakravorty, said the relationship between New Delhi and Jakarta has entered a stronger phase following Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto’s visit to India as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations last year. He said the Prime Minister’s visit is expected to further strengthen this trajectory through a series of new understandings and agreements.

Defence and maritime cooperation likely to receive major push

According to the ambassador, defence and maritime security will remain key pillars of the discussions during the visit.

He highlighted Indonesia’s strategic location along the Malacca Strait, describing secure sea lanes as vital for both countries and the wider Indo-Pacific region. He stressed that uninterrupted maritime connectivity remains essential for global trade and regional stability.

Without revealing specific details, Chakravorty indicated that the visit could produce significant outcomes in defence cooperation, saying several important announcements are expected.

‘BrahMos Plus’ hints at broader defence partnership

The ambassador also suggested that defence ties between India and Indonesia are moving beyond discussions centred on the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile.

Responding to a question about future cooperation, he remarked that the next phase would be “BrahMos Plus,” while refraining from providing further details.

He said future collaboration is expected to focus on defence manufacturing, technology partnerships, training and capacity building. India, he noted, has emerged as an important exporter of defence equipment and could support Indonesia’s efforts to strengthen its domestic defence manufacturing capabilities.

Military cooperation is also expanding, with India set to participate with troops for the first time in the multinational Garuda Shield military exercise after previously attending as an observer.

Digital connectivity and UPI integration gain momentum

Digital cooperation is expected to be another major highlight of the visit.

The ambassador said Indonesia is preparing to launch its Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)-inspired platform during Prime Minister Modi’s visit, making it the fastest international adopter of India’s digital public infrastructure model.

The initiative is expected to support nearly 65 million micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia by creating a more open digital commerce ecosystem.

Chakravorty also said discussions on integrating India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) with Indonesia’s payment systems have reached an advanced stage.

While technical integration remains complex due to Indonesia’s multiple payment-switch networks, he expressed confidence that progress would continue and the Prime Minister’s visit could accelerate the process.

Critical minerals and investment to feature prominently

Critical minerals are also expected to be a major area of cooperation as both countries look to strengthen supply chains for clean energy technologies and electric vehicle manufacturing.

Indonesia possesses significant reserves of nickel and other strategic minerals, while India is seeking reliable supplies to support its manufacturing ambitions.

The ambassador said India plans to invest in processing critical minerals within Indonesia rather than importing only raw materials. He added that such investments would support industrial development in both countries while contributing to India’s self-reliance goals.

Cultural ties to be highlighted

Apart from strategic and economic cooperation, the visit is also expected to showcase the longstanding cultural relationship between India and Indonesia.

Both countries will launch a 15-month programme commemorating Rabindranath Tagore’s 1927 visit to Indonesia, recognising his influence on the country’s educational and cultural landscape.

Prime Minister Modi is also expected to visit Yogyakarta, a city known for its historic temples, reflecting the deep civilisational links shared by the two nations.

With cooperation expanding across defence, digital infrastructure, trade and critical minerals, the visit is expected to mark another important step in strengthening the India-Indonesia strategic partnership and advancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

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Ram Mandir Trust accepts Champat Rai’s resignation amid donation theft row

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has accepted Champat Rai’s resignation as General Secretary following the donation theft controversy, with Bajrang Bagra emerging as a leading contender for the post.

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4 hours ago

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July 6, 2026

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Champat Rai

The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has accepted the resignation of its General Secretary, Champat Rai, following the controversy surrounding the alleged theft of cash donations at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

According to sources, Bajrang Bagra has emerged as one of the leading contenders for the post. Bagra currently serves as the International General Secretary of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). A chartered accountant by profession and a former head of PSU NALCO, he is considered to have the administrative and financial expertise required as the Trust moves into its next phase.

Sources indicated that the Trust is looking to appoint someone with strong experience in governance, finance and institutional administration to strengthen its functioning.

Although Champat Rai has stepped down as General Secretary, sources said he is expected to continue as a trustee unless he decides otherwise.

Decision on successor may come after VHP executive meeting

The appointment of the next General Secretary is unlikely to be announced immediately. The VHP’s biannual national executive meeting is scheduled to take place in Delhi on July 19 and 20, where several organisational decisions, including transfers and appointments, are expected to be discussed.

Champat Rai and trustee Anil Mishra had submitted their resignations after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath reportedly took a firm stand on the alleged donation theft. Their resignations came after the Special Investigating Team (SIT) submitted its preliminary findings into the case.

Donation theft investigation

According to the preliminary investigation, temple staff responsible for counting cash donations allegedly siphoned off money despite CCTV cameras being installed at the counting centre. The report stated that the footage was not monitored regularly, allowing the alleged theft to continue. Reports suggest that around Rs 7 crore to Rs 7.5 crore may be missing.

So far, eight people have been arrested in connection with the case. Among them is Ram Shankar Yadav, also known as Tinnu Yadav, who worked as Champat Rai’s driver.

Sources said Champat Rai has told his close associates that Tinnu Yadav played the central role in the alleged fraud and misused the trust placed in him. According to the sources, Rai also claimed that when Yadav feared he would be caught, he leaked information to a Samajwadi Party leader.

The other accused arrested in the case are Avinash Shukla, Anukalp Mishra, Lav Kush Mishra, Manish Kumar Yadav, Karunesh Pandey, Ramashankar Mishra and Subhash Srivastava.

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WhatsApp gets more time to respond on username feature, rollout in India put on hold

WhatsApp has been granted more time to respond to the government’s concerns over its username feature and has assured that it will not launch the feature in India until discussions are completed.

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5 hours ago

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July 6, 2026

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WhatsApp

Meta assures the government that the feature will not be introduced in India until ongoing consultations are completed.

Meta-owned WhatsApp has been granted an extension to submit its response to the Centre regarding its proposed username feature, while assuring the government that it will not roll out the feature in India until discussions on the matter are concluded.

According to sources, the government has allowed WhatsApp three additional days to file its response after the company sought more time. The original deadline for the reply was Friday.

The proposed username feature would allow users to connect with others without revealing their phone numbers, a move that has raised concerns within the government over its potential impact on cyber safety.

Last week, the Centre issued a notice to Meta questioning the feature, expressing concerns that it could increase online fraud, phishing attempts, impersonation, and so-called “digital arrest” scams. The government also directed the company to pause the rollout until consultations are completed to its satisfaction.

Sources said representatives from Meta met officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Friday following the issuance of the notice. During the discussions, WhatsApp reportedly assured authorities that the feature would not be introduced in India before the consultation process is completed.

The government has also asked Meta to explain why action should not be initiated under the Information Technology Act and the relevant rules if the proposed feature is found to compromise user safety. It reminded the company that WhatsApp, as a significant social media intermediary, must comply with due diligence obligations under Indian law.

A WhatsApp spokesperson had earlier clarified that the username feature is not yet live and is expected to be introduced gradually later this year.

The company said it has built several safeguards into the feature to prevent impersonation. According to WhatsApp, usernames of public figures, government entities, celebrities, and verified Meta accounts have been reserved so that they can only be claimed by their legitimate owners. It also said lookalike variations of such usernames are being restricted.

WhatsApp also clarified that users will still need a phone number to create and use a WhatsApp account. The username feature is intended only as an alternative way for people to connect.

The company added that users would need to know another person’s exact username before initiating contact. It also plans to limit how many new users an account can message, prevent repeated attempts to guess usernames, and use automated systems to detect impersonation and abusive behaviour.

To help users identify unfamiliar contacts, WhatsApp said it will display contextual information whenever someone sends a message through a username for the first time. Users will be informed whether the sender is a new account, an existing contact, someone who shares a mutual group, or a person located in another country before deciding whether to respond.

Following its notice to WhatsApp, the IT Ministry also issued notices to Telegram and Signal, seeking details on how their existing username-based systems address concerns related to fraud and impersonation. While WhatsApp has around 500 million users in India, Telegram has a significantly smaller user base.

In recent days, Meta and Telegram have also come under regulatory scrutiny on separate issues. The government recently issued a notice to Meta regarding child sexual abuse material appearing in Instagram advertisements, while Telegram was directed to strengthen action against the circulation of pirated films, OTT content, and other copyrighted audio-visual material on its platform.

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