Gang-rape case: Ex-CJI to constitute Commission of Inquiry

Former Chief Justice of India will constitute Commission of Inquiry into gangrape of 23-year-old girl, lapses by police and measures to be taken to ensure safety of women in the country.

New Delhi: A former Chief Justice of India will constitute the Commission of Inquiry which will go into the gangrape of a 23-year-old girl in a moving bus here, lapses by police and measures to be taken to ensure safety of women in Delhi and other parts of the country. This was disclosed on Sunday by Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dharmendra Kumar here at a press conference during which he also said the government has also set up a three-member committee, which has former Chief Justice of India J S Verma as one of its members, to examine the possibility of enhancing punishment for rape laws.

He also said for fast track action in this incident, senior High Court lawyer Dyan Krishnan will be a Special Prosecutor and ensure that the trial is finished in a short time. On the demand for action against those responsible for not why the girl could not be protected, Kumar said, "a Commission of Inquiry has been set up under a very senior retired Supreme Court Chief Justice. "The former CJI is going to inquire into the entire episode as to why this thing happened and why it could not be prevented and what measures should be taken in Delhi and the rest of the country to improve the safety of women and also even to look into whether there were lapses or not," he said. For enhancement of punishment for rape, he said the committee which was set up to look into the matter has Verma, Justice Lalita Seth and former Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam as its members. "Within a short time, they will examine the possibility of enhancing punishment for rape laws," Kumar said. On the youth groups` third demand for fast track action, he said lawyer Krishnan has volunteered to come forward as a Special Prosecutor and he will do a day-to-day prosecution in this matter and ensure that the trial is finished in a short time. "All the main demands of the public have been met. So we have been requesting to maintain calm and peace and not be hijacked," he said. Appealing for peace, Delhi Police blamed "hooligans" for the violence during protests against the gang-rape of 23-year-old girl in a moving bus last Sunday night and said unruly elements have "hijacked" peaceful demonstrations. PTI