Verma says headed panel after Chidambaram's call

Former chief justice says he has not talked to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde even once till now

Suggestions of the Congress party on changing anti-rape laws were delivered past midnight to J S Verma, chairman of the official committee on the subject, leading to party chief Sonia Gandhi apologising for the odd timing.

Verma also said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P Chidambaram were instrumental in forming the committee, which gave far-reaching recommendations favouring comprehensive amendments to criminal laws.

“Past midnight, someone came to my residence, woke me up and wanted to hand over personally (the Congress party’s suggestions). But somehow the Congress president came to know of it. She was very gracious and next day she rang me up personally and profusely apologised, to my great embarrassment. I had to tell her do not do this,” he told Karan Thapar on CNN-IBN’s Devil’s Advocate Programme.

Verma headed the three-member committee, constituted by the government in the wake of the December 16 Delhi gang rape incident to suggest amendments to anti-rape laws.

On January 23, the committee gave its recommendations seeking minimum 20 years imprisonment for gang rape and life term for rape and murder but refrained from prescribing death penalty.

It also suggested amendment of criminal laws to provide for higher punishment to rapists, including those belonging to police and public servants.

New offences have been created and stiffer punishment suggested for those committing rape and leaving the victim in a vegetative state. These include disrobing a woman, voyeurism, stalking and trafficking.

Verma said he took the chairmanship after Chidambaram called him up at the behest of Prime Minister Singh and he had not talked to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde even once till now.

Asked why the death penalty was not recommended by the penal for rape, he said there was a unanimous view of women groups against it. He said, “It was a unanimous suggestion of even women leaders who have been fighting for the cause for decades. Even the current trend is against death penalty.” He said when a brutal rape ends up in death, Section 302 (murder) will be automatically applicable to the accused and so the room for capital punishment was still there.

Asked about his recommendations on failure of the command structure, Verma said it was necessary because if higher officers can execute their responsibility properly, many crimes can be avoided.

On whether the committee tried to get a political profile by giving certain political recommendations, he said, “We are not concerned about profile which local politicians might think. But we comprehended the legitimate scope of our limit. That is what we have done. And, electoral laws are important because ultimately that affects the true representations. And, unless there is true representation, the constitutional guarantees cannot be fulfilled.”

Hitting at political and religious leaders for making controversial comments on women, the committee has recommended framing laws to disqualify politicians who issue statements “reinforcing gender bias”.