The Kerala Women's Commission (KWC) has condemned the rising trend of moral policing in the State, the last instance being the beating up of a man and a woman at Ambalavayal, Wayanad, by an autorickshaw driver.
Taking strong exception to the alleged police indifference, resulting in the culprit going scot free, KWC Chairperson M.C. Josephine urged the public to refrain from such actions. “We have the police here to control law and order situations,” she said, adding: “The public need not take action in such matters.”
Ms. Josephine along with commission member M.S. Thara was speaking to reporters here on Wednesday on the sidelines of a Mega Adalat organised by the panel. She said the commission would take action against anyone who insulted womanhood irrespective of their position in society. She brushed aside the charge that no action had been taken in the case of the tribal woman who was reportedly treated like a slave at Kallai for decades. She said the owner of the house where she worked had been directed to pay her ₹8.5 lakh as salary for all the years she served. The village officer will take steps to issue Aadhaar card and voter's identity card to the woman, she added.
On a complaint from a woman from Feroke, who was allegedly forced to leave her house after her daughter sued her and her differently abled son over property issues, the commission noted that the Feroke police had been negligent in the inquiry. The commission also decided to take up the issue with higher police authorities.
The commission heard a petition filed by Anitha Kumari, a tahsildar, that she was being purposely dragged into news by someone in an attempt to prevent her promotions. It will refer the issue to the Chief Minister and the Minister for Scheduled Castes. Ms. Josephine said the commission would take a serious view of allegations of fake complaints.
The panel heard as many as 87 complaints on Wednesday, of which 14 were settled, while the rest were forwarded to various departments for further inquiries.
