PILs on issue of rape: SC seeks assistance of former ASG

Supreme Court today sought the assistance of former Additional Solicitor General Indira Jaising in a batch of petitions on effective implementation of women's safety norms which came about in the aftermath of the December 16, 2012 gangrape incident.
A special social justice bench, comprising justices M B Lokur and U U Lalit, sought the assistance of Jaising, who is the first woman law officer of the country appointed by the erstwhile UPA regime to assist the court as amicus curiae.
The senior advocate, who was appearing in one of the petitions, raised the issue of non-utilisation of Rs 2,000 crore created by the government for the welfare of the victims of sexual violence.

The corpus created for two years under the "Nirbhaya Fund" scheme have remained unutilised and there was a need for a nodal agency to ensure its effective utilisation, she saod.
Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh said it was not an adversarial litigation and whatever was intended would be done.
Soon after the December 16 gangrape, several PILs were filed raising issues like setting up of fast track courts for speedy trial in rape cases and effective implementation of existing laws for safety of women.

Directions were sought for appointment of additional judges to adjudicate the matters of crimes against women and for providing compulsory compensation to the victims of rape.

The PIL filed through advocate Ravi Prakash Gupta also sought an order to restrain print and electronic media from publishing and telecasting obscene pictures of women.
The pleas also sought suspension of MPs and MLAs who have been charge-sheeted for crime against women.