The Delhi High Court today directed the Centre and the city government to respond to a plea seeking directions for taking adequate steps to prevent eve-teasing incidents in the city.
Issuing notice to the Home Ministry, the Delhi government and the Delhi Police Commissioner, a bench of Chief Justice D Murugesan and Justice Jayant Nath sought their responses by August 14 on the PIL seeking directions to comply with the Supreme Court's guidelines on the issue.
Filing the PIL through counsel Gaurav Bansal, petitioner Nadita Dhar sought the court to "direct the respondents (Centre, Delhi government and police) to submit a report on the steps taken to implement the apex court's guidelines...To bring eve-teasing under control."
Dhar alleged that it is government's duty to provide an atmosphere for the development of girl students and women in the national capital but they have failed to provide such an atmosphere.
"That the trauma of eve-teasing is horrible and the same is of such kind that the girl students, especially, cannot reveal the same to their family members and as such the petitioner seeks liberty of this court to invoke its jurisdiction...," the PIL said.
The petitioner's counsel argued that even the city police, in its report, had admitted that eve-teasing cases have gone up for the past few years and sought court direction to governments to ensure safety of women.
"Respondents are responsible for the public health, welfare and security of the people residing within their jurisdictions and they are also responsible for protecting the lives, liberty and property of their citizens and promoting their well being," the petitioner, in the plea, said.
"Direct the respondents to strictly implement the apex court's guidelines passed to bring eve-teasing under control till a suitable legislation is passed by the government of NCT of Delhi and also direct it to issue an appropriate bill on the issue of eve-teasing in the state legislature," the PIL said.
