Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: A 13-member special task force headed by Union Home Secretary constituted to look into safety issues of women in the national capital on a fortnightly basis held its first meet on Thursday.
The task force was created on January 01 amid strong demands for tougher laws to deal with crimes against women. The government's decision to set up the task force comes against the backdrop of public outrage over the gang-rape and brutal assault of a 23-year-old girl in a moving bus in south Delhi on December 16. She died in a Singapore hospital on Saturday.
The task force will review the functioning of the Delhi Police on a regular basis. It will also continuously review action taken by the police and the Delhi government regarding safety issues of women.
The government had on December 23 constituted the Committee under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Verma, former Chief Justice of India, to look into the possible amendments of the criminal law so as to provide for quicker trial and enhanced punishment to criminals in such cases.
The three-member Committee has been asked to submit its report to the government in 30 days. The other members of the Committee are Justice (retd) Leila Seth, former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court, and former Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam.
The task force comprises Delhi's Chief Secretary, Delhi Police Commissioner, Special Commissioner (Traffic), Special Commissioner (Law & Order) and Chairperson, Delhi Commission for Women.
The other members Chairperson, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), Transport Commissioner, Commissioners of East Delhi Municipal Corporation, North Delhi Municipal Corporation and South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Excise Commissioner, GNCTD and Joint Secretary (UT) in the Home Ministry.
Under the existing law, the maximum punishment for rape is life term but the nationwide outrage over the December 16 gang-rape of the physiotherapy student has triggered a demand for death penalty to rapists.
With PTI inputs
First Published: Thursday, January 03, 2013, 15:18