B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Need to execute laws to protect women: Ex-CJ
Faridkot, March 8
The former chief justice of Guwahati High Court, Justice RS Mongia and former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, Justice HS Bhalla reached Faridkot today to address the students of a law college to underline the need for proper and strong implementation of gender laws. The function was held to mark the International Women’s Day.

17-yr-old alleges rape
Ferozepur, March 8
A 17-year-old girl studying in Class XI in a government school, who belongs to village Dona Mattar (Gajniwala) in Guruharsahai sub-division has levelled rape charge against a medical practitioner in the village.

Fair price shop dealers to hold protest in Delhi
Barnala, March 8
Thousands of depot holders from Punjab will take part in a protest march to be organised in Delhi on March 13 to protest against the policies of the Central Government and in support of their demands.

Women felicitated
Abohar, March 8
While celebrating the International Women’s Day here today the Punjabi Sabhyachar Manch honoured 25 women, including Bindu Arora, Raksha Sumra, Raj Rani Asija, Saroj Nagpal, Neetu Chopra, Ritu Beri, Anamika, Satwinder, Harpreet Kaur, Kavita, Deepika, Pooja Wadhwa and Asha Bajaj for their outstanding performance in different fields. — OC

Need to execute laws to protect women: Ex-CJ
Tribune News Service

Faridkot, March 8
The former chief justice of Guwahati High Court, Justice RS Mongia and former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge, Justice HS Bhalla reached Faridkot today to address the students of a law college to underline the need for proper and strong implementation of gender laws. The function was held to mark the International Women’s Day.

“After the recent gang-rape of a young woman in Delhi, while the government rushed through new laws, we should not forget that sufficient laws exist in our country to curb the gender-based crime. But there is a problem in implementing these laws,” said Justice Mongia, in his address to the students.

“While people in India have been active as gender advocates and legislators, in ensuring the creation of laws and in embedding gender dimensions in the law, the effective implementation of these laws continues to be a challenge,” said Justice Bhalla.

“There are laws such as the Protection of Women against Domestic Violence Act, 2005, the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, but the proper and effective implementation of these Acts is a still a challenge,” said Archana Puri, district and sessions judge, Faridkot, while drawing attention to the dwindling sex ratio.

“Registration of an FIR is still a big challenge for the women to get justice. It is better for the police to register an FIR at first instance and make arrests or take further action with the investigation of the allegations in the FIR,” said Justice Mongia.

The former Chief Justice of Guwahati High Court also drew attention toward many grey areas in the Juvenile Justice Act. “There is an urgent need to analysis the effective implementation of this Act which deals with the juveniles who are in confrontation with law,” he said.

17-yr-old alleges rape
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, March 8
A 17-year-old girl studying in Class XI in a government school, who belongs to village Dona Mattar (Gajniwala) in Guruharsahai sub-division has levelled rape charge against a medical practitioner in the village.

In her complaint to the police today, the girl said while she was returning home from school on February 22, the accused Kulwinder Singh, who works as a medical practitioner in the village, offered to drop her home on his motorcycle. However, instead of taking her home, the accused took her to an isolated location, where he offered her tea laced with sedatives and subsequently raped her, she alleged.

The girl said since the accused was known to her parents and used to frequent their home, she could not gather the courage to inform her family. Later, when she told her family members about the incident, they took her to the Civil Hospital for medical investigations.

Varinder Pal Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Ferozepur (SSP), confirmed that the rape complaint was received from the girl.

The SSP said that based on her statement, a case has been lodged against the accused and the matter has been entrusted to the sexual assault response team (SART) under sub-inspector Santosh Kumari to investigate the matter.

He said the DSP, Guruharsahai, has been asked to submit his report in the matter.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Dr Neerja Puri, who conducted the medical examination of the girl, said though preliminary investigations indicated that the girl was allegedly raped, a final conclusion would be reached at only after the report of the chemical analysis is received. 

Fair price shop dealers to hold protest in Delhi
Tribune News Service

Barnala, March 8
Thousands of depot holders from Punjab will take part in a protest march to be organised in Delhi on March 13 to protest against the policies of the Central Government and in support of their demands.

State president of the Punjab Depot Holders Union Gurjinder Singh Sidhu today said the All India Fair Price Shop Dealers Federation had given a call for a protest march towards the Parliament.

He said that the protest was against the Central Government's move to close the depots.

Sidhu said they were against cash subsidy, which was harmful for depot holders and poor in particular. The state president of the union appealed to all depot holders to reach Delhi in support of their genuine demands.