Protests against Telangana rape and murder continue for second day at Delhi's Jantar Mantar; DCW chief writes to PM

Protests continued for the second straight day at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar against the brutal rape and murder of a veterinary doctor in Telangana’s Hyderabad. Civil society members, activists and students have all gathered at the heart of the capital to demand safety and security for women in the face of rising crimes against women. Several protests have been held in other parts of the country too after the news surfaced Friday about the gangrape and murder of the 27-yr-old woman whose two-wheeler was punctured by four men at a deserted stretch of the road, from where she was lured away on the promise of help. In Hyderabad, protests against the heinous crime continued in the city and other parts of Telangana with students, lawyers and others taking out rallies and holding demonstrations demanding death penalty for the four accused.  Protests were also held by school students and different student groups between Monday and Tuesday at various places in the state, demanding capital punishment for the accused. [caption id=“attachment_3011946” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Swati Maliwal. Image credit: CNN-News18[/caption] On Saturday, a temple in Hyderabad suspended the entry of devotees for about 20 minutes to protest against the crime. On Monday, students of Presidency University in Kolkata held protests demanding swift action, while students of Osmania University in Hyderabad took out a march. Meanwhile, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal sat on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday against the recent incidents of rape. She also wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding that rapists be hanged within six months of their conviction. Stressing that implementation of laws is important, she demanded that police resources be increased and their accountability fixed. “Merely making the law is not enough, it will also have to be implemented. You are requested to immediately implement the law of death sentence for all rapists in six months and all the necessary mechanisms should be started for this,” she said. Citing the incidents of the gangrape and murder of a Hyderabad veterinarian and the brutal rape of a six-year-old girl in Rajasthan, she said, “Daughters are falling prey to such heinous crimes in every corner of the country. “These two daughters are not with us, but their screams are not letting us sit in peace. The soul trembles even thinking how much pain they must have suffered.” In the last three years, the DCW has heard 55,000 cases, attended 2.15 lakh calls on 181 helpline, conducted 75,000 ground visits, assisted victims in 33,000 court cases, held 11,000 counselling sessions and set over 200 counselling centres, she said. “DCW is the only women’s commission in the country which works on Sundays and Saturdays and day and night as well. But even after doing so, if the daughters are raped, then it all seems meaningless,” she said. With inputs from agencies