Maneka wants NCW to have powers similar to civil court
NEWDELHI: Ahead of the first meeting of the group of ministers (GOM) for reviewing the law against sexual harassment at workplace, Union women and child development minister Maneka Gandhi has pitched for more powers for the National Commission for Women (NCW).
Gandhiwantsthencwtohave power akin to the civil courts as it would help the body to address all complaints that come to it. The focus of the meeting would be to strengthen the women’s commission, the minister added.
“The idea is to establish infrastructure which can handle these cases. We aim to provide the same powers to NCW as the National Human Rights Commission or the SC/ST commission akin to a civil court. If we can make it stronger, NCW is good enough to take care of all complaints that come to it,” Gandhi said.
At a law review consultation of the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, 2013 held in November, the NCW had said there was no specified authority to inquire and inspect the proper implementation of the act.
The Centre in October had constituted the GOM — headed by Union home minister Rajnath Singh — in a bid to examine the NEWDELHI: A Delhi court on Friday recorded the statement of two witnesses — Sunil Gujral and Veenu Sandal — in a criminal defamation case filed by former Union minister MJ Akbar against journalist Priya Ramani who had made allegations of sexual assault against Akbar.
The two witnesses and former colleagues of Akbar, who recorded their statements before additional chief metropolitan magistrate informed the court that they were shocked when they came to know about the allegations against Akbar.
Gujral, publisher of The Sunday Guardian, said: “I spoke to Akbar thereafter as I felt embarrassed and let down. Besides this, my embarrassment was com-
existing legal and institutional frameworks for dealing with matters of sexual harassment of women at workplace.
It came in the wake of the ‘Metoo India’ movement. The GOM includes Union ministers Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sithara- pounded as friends and acquaintances, who knew of all my old association with Akbar for almost 40 years, started asking embarrassing questions. This made me feel very bad since I felt that irreparable damage has been done to Akbar’s reputation in my estimation as well as in estimation of my friend circle and acquaintances.”
Sandal, who had worked with Akbar at The Asian Age, said: “It was really distressing that the allegations had been made and that he could do the things that Ramani had alleged... It was very shocking and painful to think that someone you had placed on a pedestal could allegedly fall so low.”
The matter would be now heard on January 11.
man and Maneka Gandhi. It is expected to examine the existing provisions for the safety of women and recommend further measures required to strengthen and make them more effective, within three months of its constitution.