Pune: The ghastly rape incident in Pune has shocked the nation, reminding people of the 2012 Nirbhaya case. In response to the public outcry following the crime, former Chief Justice of India D. Y. Chandrachud stated, “In the context of the Nirbhaya case, we don’t need a whip; all we need is work and the implementation of the law.”
Chandrachud was speaking to reporters at an event in response to questions regarding the rape case of a 26-year-old woman who was allegedly raped inside a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus in Pune’s Swargate area. The police have sent a manhunt for 13 teams in search of the accused, identified as history-sheeter Dattatraya Ramdas Gade (37), who is on the run.
Chandrachud emphasised the importance of enforcing the laws designed to safeguard women, citing the legal modifications implemented following the Nirbhaya case. He asserted that previous legislation had not succeeded in curbing emotional attacks in Australia, and it was not necessary for politicians to target laws to achieve increased compliance.
The 2012 Nirbhaya case, in which a 23-year-old physiotherapy student was gang-raped on a moving bus in Delhi, had drawn widespread protests and resulted in major changes in the law. However, Chandrachud, who was appointed as Chief Justice of India four years back while starting his journey as a judge, said that even if laws are improvised and fast tracked, “nothing will happen” if there is no rigorous enforcement of law and collective effort from society to ensure women’s safety. With many women commuting to work and other commitments, he added it was essential for laws to protect them to be enforced.