Rape remark: NCW to issue summons to Salman Khan

The National Commission for Women today said that the body has taken Bollywood actor Salman Khan’s controversial rape remark “very seriously” and will issue summons to him soon. “We had written a letter to him last week asking why he made such a remark but he has not replied so far,” NCW chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam said.

“We have taken his remarks very seriously and will issue summons to him immediately as he has failed to reply to the letter in which we had asked him to apologise within seven days,” she told reporters at the end of the day-long regional consultation on Draft National Policy for Women, 2016.

The NCW has also taken the Motihari rape case along with the recent alleged incidents of four rapes in Bihar “very seriously and will pursue it very aggressively”.

“The Motihari incident is a horrendous cover-up of justice by the police and we have sought an appointment with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and will take up the issue with him,” Kumaramangalam said.

The matter will be also taken up with the NHRC as the recent four cases of rape in Bihar are serious violation of human rights with the role of the police being suspected.

“In these particular cases, the police is mysteriously losing files, FIRs are not being filed and there has been a breakdown in justice. In these four cases, it appears that there is a lack of political will,” she said.

Asked about online trolling, the NCW chairperson said online abuse was increasing alarmingly and there was a need to take action but most of those trolled registered no complaints.

“If I get a complaint, I will act aggressively but none wants to complain. Even senior journalists have been trolled but there has been no complaints,” she added.

The day-long consultation on Draft National Policy for Women, 2016 discussed various issues related to education and governnance and decision-making, violence against women, health including food security and nutrition, environment and climate change to create an effective framework of developing a national policy.

The consultation was organised by the Assam government and Assam State Commission for Women in collaboration with the NCW.