Law enforcers need to be sensitised: SC

New Delhi: The Supreme Court today said that there has been a phenomenal rise in the crime against women in society and it can be curbed only when the authorities are sensitised towards women’s problems. The apex court strongly disapproved of a trial court order which had held that wife beating is a normal facet of married life and termed the judgement as “perverse.” “They show a mindset which needs change. There is a phenomenal rise in crime against women and protection granted to women by the Constitution and other laws can be meaningful only if those who are entrusted with the job of doing justice are sensitised towards women’s problems,” a bench headed by Justice Aftab Alam said while referring to sessions court’s judgement. [caption id=“attachment_577800” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] “We are wary of passing comments against the subordinate courts because such comments tend to demoralise them. But, in this case, we will be failing in our duty if we ignore the insensitivity shown by learned sessions judge to a serious crime committed against a hapless woman,” the bench said. The apex court passed the order while dismissing an appeal of a man against the Karnataka High Court’s verdict, which had convicted him for abetting the suicide of his wife and had sentenced him to five years in jail, setting aside his acquittal by the sessions court. While acquitting the man in dowry death case, the trial court had observed that “wife beating is normal facet of married life.” The apex court set aside the trial court order and upheld the Karnataka High Court’s verdict. “The tenor of the (trial court’s) judgement suggests that wife beating is a normal facet of married life. Does that mean giving one or two slaps to a wife by a husband just does not matter? We do not think that that can be a right approach. It is one thing to say that every wear and tear of married life need not lead to suicide and it is another thing to put it so crudely and suggest that one or two assaults on a woman is an accepted social norm,” the bench said. “Judges have to be sensitive to women’s problems. Perhaps learned sessions judge wanted to convey that the circumstances on record were not strong enough to drive Girija to commit suicide. But to make light of slaps given to Girija which resulted in loss of her eyesight is to show extreme insensitivity,” it said. “Assault on a woman offends her dignity. What effect it will have on a woman depends on facts and circumstances of each case. There cannot be any generalisation on this issue. Our observation, however, must not be understood to mean that in all cases of assault suicide must follow. “Our objection is to the tenor of learned sessions judge’s observations. We do not suggest that where there is no evidence, the court should go out of its way, ferret out evidence and convict the accused in such cases,” the bench said. PTI