Women's Commission demands seeks CBI probe into AP advocate's suicide

Women's Commission demands seeks CBI probe into AP advocate's suicide
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, JULY 8: After the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), it is the National Commission for Women (NCW), which reacted strongly today to the incident of suicide by Andhra Pradesh High Court advocate Sangeeta Sharma due to alleged sexual harassment by fellow-lawyers and demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.

NCW member Shantha Reddy, who went to Andhra Pradesh to get first-hand information regarding the incident, said, ``The Commission demanded a CBI inquiry as there were enough evidences to show that something is wrong somewhere and bail of the accused to be cancelled.''

``There are all possiblities that the accused, who are out on bail at present, will tamper with the evidences, thereby changing the further course of investigations,'' she said.

The Commission, which has sent its report to the Home Ministry and the state Chief Minister, has also recommended strong and immediate implementation of the Supreme Court directive to form committees to avoid such incidents in the future, NCW chairperson Vibha Parthasarthi said.

``Various organisations and professions don't have such committees. So whenever there are cases of sexual harassment, they are either unnoticed or the victim takes extreme step due to frustration,'' Parthasarthi said.

NHRC had already taken cognizance of the case directing the state government and the Director-General of Police to report on the matter and sought help of the Bar Council of India (BCI) and the Bar Association of India (BAI) in examining the issue of sexual harassment in the legal profession throughout the country.

About duplicity of efforts by the NHRC and the NCW in this particular case, Parthasarthi said, ``It is bound to happen as women cut across all spectra of the society. Firstly, it is a human rights' issue as every woman is a human first. And in a way there will be more pressure on the society and decision-makers to consider these issues.''

Reddy also said the Commission has taken this case in two segments - incident of suicide and issue of women's sexual harassment prevalent in the society at large - giving its observations accordingly.

Sharma committed suicide on June 15 alleging sexual harassment by certain fellow-lawyers and senior advocates, Asmita Resource Centre for Women said in a petition to the NCW.

The Centre said Sharma had approached them for help but was unwilling to divulge in public the names of those harassing her, as she feared harmful consequences for her and her child.

``We then wrote a letter to the chairman of the Bar Council of AP, bringing to his notice the Supreme Court decision in Visakha vs State of Rajasthan case and urged him to implement the judgement for lawyers,'' the petition said.

``As the situation did not improve for her, sharma has left behind evidence of grave misconduct on the part of several lawyers. Two arrests were made, and one person, the main accused, who was slated for judgeship, has been absconding. On June 21, the accused moved the court for a stay on the investigation, and the same was granted till June 26,'' the petitioner said.