Jammu, Jan 24: Jammu and Kashmir government has started the process of studying recommendations of central government-appointed Justice JS Verma panel regarding amendments in the prevailing laws against sexual crimes and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
Sources informed Greater Kashmir that on the directions of the Chief Minister’s secretariat, the state’s Law Department has started studying the recommendations of the three-member panel headed by Justice Verma.
“We have the report with us and will study all aspects of the recommendations, especially those concerning the prevailing laws on sexual offences and AFSPA”, an official in the Law Department said.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had on Tuesday expressed the hope that the Verma panel recommendations will be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. “Parliament will do what it has to but I promise the people of J&K that we will look at the Verma committee report with all seriousness”, CM wrote on the micro-blogging website Twitter, last evening.
“I will propose an All Party Meeting to discuss the recommendations so that as many as possible are implemented at the earliest in J&K”, he wrote in another tweet.
Officials said that when the union government constituted the three member committee headed by JS Verma, after the mass uprising over Delhi gang rape, the then Law Minister of state, Ali Muhammad Sagar had directed the Law Department to wait for the recommendations “and study them for brining required amendments in the related laws”, sources claimed.
They claimed that Justice Verma report holds great relevance as the committee has specifically sought amendment in AFSPA.
Though the Law department, sources said, had already initiated the process to make amendments in laws related to sexual offences and had sought recommendations/suggestions from various quarters to make amendments in state laws including Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) and procedural laws including J&K Criminal Procedure Code (JKCrPC), the J&K Evidence Act, 1977, but so far only State Women Commission has forwarded their recommendation.
“The recommendations of the committee have come handy for us as these will add to our inputs”, officials claimed further.
Pertinently, in the report, Justice Verma has also opined that the sexual offences committed by armed forces and uniformed men should be brought under ordinary criminal law, besides appointment of special commissioners to ensure the safety of women complainants and witnesses in cases of sexual assault by armed personnel, regular monitoring by special commissioner to ensure security of women detainees in police stations and women at Army or paramilitary check points.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:00:00 IST