बलात्कार के विरुद्ध फास्ट ट्रैक न्यायपीठों हेतु जनहित याचिका

बीते कुछ दिन चरम यातना के रहे हैं, आगे भी रहने वाले हैं। अपनी सीमित पहुँच में ही इस दौरान जो कुछ मुझे जानने को मिला है, वह भयावह है। बस इतना कह सकता हूँ कि बहुत कुछ सड़ चुका है और जो बचा है वह सड़ते जा रहा है। हम सूअरों की तरह सड़न से सामंजस्य बैठाते नरक में जीने की नित नयी विधियाँ विकसित करते जा रहे हैं। हमें अपने सड़ते अंगों की दुर्गन्ध भी नहीं पता चल रही, असल में हम उसे भी स्वाभाविक और प्राकृतिक मान बैठे हैं।

 इस यातना में तंत्र में सुधार की आस लगाये देश भर में बलात्कारों के विरुद्ध त्वरित गति न्यायपीठों की स्थापना के लिये भारत के सर्वोच्च न्यायालय हेतु याचना पत्र तैयार करना उस अनुभव से गुजरना रहा जहाँ शब्द सीमित हो जाते हैं और मस्तिष्क कोरा!

अंग्रेजी में तैयार जनहित याचिका (Public Interest Litigation) आप से साझा कर रहा हूँ। आप इसका उपयोग संशोधनों के साथ या यथावत अपने विवेकानुसार सर्वोच्च न्यायालय या अपने राज्य के उच्च न्यायालय में गुहार लगाने के लिये कर सकते हैं। मेरी ओर से कोई बन्धन नहीं है।

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हिन्दी भावानुवाद के लिये एक ब्लॉगर साथी को लिखा है (जाने क्यों अपने को असमर्थ सा पा रहा हूँ)। मैं ब्लॉगर मित्रों विशेषकर शिल्पा मेहता और अनु सिंह चौधरी का आभारी हूँ जिन्हों ने उपयोगी सुझाव दिये और पठन के पश्चात संशोधन भी सुझाये।

मैं सतीश चन्द्र सत्यार्थी का आभारी हूँ जिनसे फेसबुक पर संवाद हुये।

मैं काजल कुमार और रवि रतलामी का आभारी हूँ, साथ चलते दो चार पग साहस बँधाते हैं। मैं अनुराग शर्मा और देवेन्द्र पांडेय का आभारी हूँ जिन्हों ने मेरी पहल को अपने अपने ब्लॉगों पर स्थान दिया।

मैं दिगम्बर नासवा, कौशलेन्द्र, वाणी गीत, अर्चना, सुज्ञ, दीपक बाबा, अल्पना वर्मा सहित अपने उन सभी ब्लॉगर साथियों के प्रति कृतज्ञ हूँ जिनकी शुभेच्छाओं और शुभकामनाओं ने मुझे बल प्रदान दिया। मैं सिद्धार्थ शंकर त्रिपाठी, संजय झा और प्रतिभा सक्सेना का आभारी हूँ जिन्हों ने याचिका में साथ देने की स्वत:स्फूर्त बात कही। संजय अनेजा और सतीश पंचम को चैट सम्वादों हेतु आभार।

प्रशासनिक और पुलिस सेवा के अपने उन ‘अनाम’ साथियों का भी आभार प्रकट करता हूँ जिनके साथ हुये विमर्शों और जिनके संशोधनों के कारण इस याचिका को वर्तमान रूप मिल सका। वे अभी भी न्यायमूर्ति वर्मा के पैनल हेतु विधि में संशोधन के सुझावों को अंतिम रूप दे रहे हैं। इस क्षेत्र में मेरी गति नहीं है।विधि के उन पुराने श्रेष्ठ विद्यार्थियों का भी आभार जिनसे बातें करना आँखें खोलने जैसा रहा।
 मैं उन ‘अनाम’ मित्रों के लिये भी आभार व्यक्त करता हूँ जिनकी हताश करने वाली बातों ने मुझे और दृढ़ता दी। उन द्वारों का भी आभार जो तमाम खटखटाहटों पर भी नहीं खुले। 

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Honorable Chief Justice                                                                                                 

Supreme Court of India

New Delhi

Ref.: Petitions against atrocities on women… rape. 

Sub.: Public Interest petition for establishment of permanent fast track courts across India to expeditiously take up all the old and new rape cases where crime is self evident, speedy trial and to pronounce justice in time bound manner and ensure the punishment.

Honorable Chief Justice Sir,

1.      I trust you with this petition to be put before the highest judicial body of the country. It may not be drafted well and may have numerous flaws but I know your kindness will take it as a petition and it comes from the trust I have in you.

2.      There may be numerous executive, legislative and judicial hindrances in fulfilling my request but I know that in past the judiciary has surpassed all hindrances in matters of wide public and national interests. The matter I raise here is of national importance in the sense that it pertains to the dignity of human beings in general and the whole female population in particular which constitutes half of the nation.  

3.      The petition is in the context of brutal gang rape of a girl in moving bus in Delhi on 16^th December 2012. She and her male friend were brutally assaulted and the violence on the girl, which resulted in her death, was the most heinous. The incident has shaken the entire country as is evident from the demonstrations across India.  

But, it is and should be taken as applicable to all the rapes which have happened across country in the past and are still happening.   

     

4.      The petition is for establishment of permanent fast track courts across India to expeditiously take up all the old and new rape cases where crime is self evident, speedy trial and to pronounce justice in time bound manner and ensure the punishment.

It is also for directive by the supreme judicial authority to the executive to act on this front whatever required in a given time frame and also for inside changes in the judicial system.  

  

5.      I cannot go in to the technicalities of the rape cases legally as I am ignorant but I trust that the supreme authority on the justice understands me. I have not endeavored to collect statistics as I trust that the Honorable court is aware of the quantum of the rape cases.  

6.      The slow speed and the complicated way with which things move, when left to other institutions, fail to rouse trust in them on the matter which has become alarming and demands immediate action.

I trust that the supreme judicial authority, our Supreme Court, can mobilize all other institutions expeditiously towards achievement of a common goal.

7.      Rape free society guarantees freedom to women for they can live and roam as fear free human beings. It ensures equality. Any society will fail to achieve all its potential if freedom of half of its population is curtailed by heinous crimes like rapes.

Newspapers and media are reporting daily that rapes are still happening unabated. Those who have conscience do not indulge in this, and those who do not have conscience look for chance. Only speedy punishment can bring fear of law in minds of potential criminals and it can liberate the people with conscience, of fear of such criminals.

I trust that under the scenario, only the highest judicial authority of the country can ensure the delivery of positive results.   

8.      Rape is used against the females to crush the very spirit with which they are marching with raised heads and with the steps in parity and in rhyme with the males, for their own glory as human beings and glory of the society as a whole, breaking all the shackles and chains of the past. It is used as a weapon against them by the anti-social and reactionary forces, who still want them to be veiled in darkness of suppression and exploitation.

If rapes are not stopped, it will jeopardize the silent and effective movement of gender equality, which has now base in villages, the reservoirs of the bulk of population.

9.      Fear of violation of modesty strengthens the traditional reactionaries of the society who oppose even a slightest hint of gender equality in subtler or crude ways and intimidate the daring parents, who even go the extent of selling parental properties to send their daughters for higher education in remote cities. It hampers the primary education of the girl child also.  

10.  Rape is the most lethal weapon of the brute and totally unjustified dominance of force over the vulnerable. It is lethal as it kills the morale of victims, it damages the whole psyche of the victims irreparably and makes the future life of the survivors miserable. It is against the very basic ethos of the civilized society, where justice of life is not determined by the jungle laws. It is against humanity and so it deserves immediate attention, intervention and action from the supreme judicial authority.

11.  Rape is used against the institution of the family. It is used against the females of the family even though there is no direct grudge against them. It sucks away all the spirit of life from a family and floods it with fear.

 Since society is formed of family, the fear factor engulfs the whole society. This fear contributes to the bondage of the women, who constitute half of the society, and makes it sick. A nation constituted of a sick society cannot flourish and cannot keep pace with the developments which raise the overall living standard and quality of life.  

Having such repercussions, crime of rape deserves immediate attention, intervention and action from the supreme judicial authority.

12.  Thousands and thousands of pending rape cases pan India tell enough about the rot which is flourishing in the society. A sound judicial and executive system combined to ensure speedy trial and punishment will certainly do a lot in effect on the arrest of this rot.
Though women form half of the population, they are not so sufficiently organized as to form a single pressure group. They are double sufferers as vulnerable and being forced to remain silent mostly on rape, for it brings social stigma. Under such a scenario, positive steps from the supreme judicial authority will certainly bring desirable changes and will boost morale and self confidence of half of the populace.  

  

13.  I trust that the Honorable court will do the needful but I feel it proper to enumerate certain points which have come to my mind and have been communicated by some of my friends also:

(a)    Often FIRs for rape are not lodged in police stations by police. The Chief of Police Administration should have a mechanism to ensure that the police stations do lodge FIRs and laws be drafted for action against those officials who don't do this, not just for negligence of duty, but as accessories after the fact.

 Investigation of rape cases should be taken up immediately by a Senior Police Officer and should be supervised on daily basis by the Head of the Police organisation in the city or district. A time frame may be fixed for completion of investigations.

(b)    Strict action should be there against accused of sexual assault in police stations. There are reports of further rapes and assault on victims who had gone to the police to lodge an FIR. 

(c)   Due to fear of the tyrants, social stigma and absence of security net; often victims or families do not come forward to lodge FIRs in case of rapes. There should be a cell of police, eminent personalities, psychologists, sociologists, lawyers and NGOs to help them. With collaborative efforts of executive and judiciary such cells may be a reality. If the Honorable court feels so, these cells may be granted certain legal powers also.

These cells should be allowed to review progress of investigation and steps taken by the police to avert future incidents.

 (d)   There should be at least one all-women functional police station in each Police Sub-division and all primary education centres should make the pupils learn its address and have a guest lecture from the police personnel working there at least once a year.

(e)    A code of conduct should be there for investigators and media which report such cases. A set of guidelines should also be there so that survivors are treated with dignity. If it exists, it should be reinforced. they are already there, mechanism should be there for implementation.

(f)    Any person / persons convicted of rape should be forever banned from contesting elections, even after the completion of the sentence, whatever the length and intensity the sentence decided for the case may be. 

(g)   Use of foreign objects to harm or injure a person sexually should also be legally treated as rape resulting in applicability of all the existing and future rape laws, acts, judgements etc.

(h)   There should be fast track courts depending on the pendency of cases in all the states to handle rape cases in time bound manner and with all the dedicated investigating and other functions solely answerable to such courts.

All existing and future rape cases where the crime is self-evident, should be handed over to such courts.

These courts should be empowered to act suo motu also.

(i)     Dedicated information system cells should be established in Supreme Court and High Courts to monitor functioning of fast track courts. So also Police Chiefs should monitor progress in investigations.

(j)     Pardoning power and scope of the executive heads in case of rape punishments should be reviewed.    

I, as a citizen, constitute 'the people' which has given the constitution to itself. I am proclaimed in the preamble to the constitution as ‘We’ and today with that collective spirit I am before you in the supreme temple of justice asking for the justice.

I have read the preamble. I can understand the word JUSTICE in the present context, though I can't express it eloquently. I have a firm belief that this understanding is universal and with this understanding I am before you demanding justice for half of 'the people'. 

I am before you for better half of the people which is mother in lineage of earth, the mother.

I am before you for that half which ensures continuity of life carrying the future of the people in her womb.

I am before you appealing that she does not delay in deliverance of life but justice has been a delayed affair for the rapes committed against her since she carries organs to bring and sustain life on the earth and so is vulnerable.

I am before you to iterate that these rapes are against the life and I know that life is a fundamental right. I am before you for that fundamental right and when I say fundamental, I just know the fundamental beyond technicalities.

I am before you for I know that you understand me.

I am before you to plead with yourself and pronounce that justice must be delivered in a fixed time frame and with all the precision, correctness and effectiveness it deserves for it also links to the mother who delivers timely, effectively and precisely to ensure continuity of 'We the people'.

With prayer to pronounce judicial order to all the organs of the system for establishment of pan India permanent fast track courts to handle self evident rape cases, I kneel before the Honorable Supreme Court and all of its Honorable judges including you.