NCW Initiates FIR Against Individual for Filming Female Passenger on Train
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Synopsis
The National Commission for Women has ordered an FIR against Md Zim Nawaz for filming and harassing a female passenger on a train in West Bengal. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about women's safety in public transport.
Key Takeaways
- NCW orders FIR against Md Zim Nawaz.
- Incident occurred on March 5 in Murshidabad, West Bengal.
- Violations include sections of BNS and IT Act.
- Nawaz also allegedly shared victim's personal information.
- Minister Sukanta Majumdar advised victim to file a formal complaint.
New Delhi, March 9 (NationPress) The National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has mandated the filing of an FIR against a man who recorded a video of a female co-passenger on a train and sexually harassed a college student during a journey in West Bengal.
As per a media report, the incident occurred on March 5 in Murshidabad district.
Upon reviewing the media report, the Commission noted that the actions of the accused, Md Zim Nawaz, are punishable under sections 77, 75, and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, 2023, along with Section 66E of the IT Act, 2000.
“The FIR should invoke the appropriate provisions,” stated the panel in a social media update, attributing the instruction to Rahatkar.
Section 77 of the BNS prohibits watching, recording, or sharing images of a woman engaged in a private act without her consent, aimed at safeguarding women’s privacy. The violation carries a possible maximum sentence of three years.
Preliminary findings indicate that Nawaz has also violated laws by using words, gestures, or actions intended to insult a woman's modesty, as stated by the Commission.
Referring to the accused, the NCW highlighted that it has acted upon media reports concerning the harassment and covert recording of the female passenger on the Balurghat Express, which operates between Howrah and Balurghat in north Bengal.
The NCW further stated that Nawaz reportedly disseminated the victim’s personal information online, which led to life threats against her.
Following media coverage of the incident, the Minister of State for Education and state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar reached out to the victim and urged her to file an official complaint with the police.
In a separate incident, the Commission expressed grave concern over the sexual assault of a 26-year-old woman aboard a bus at Swargate bus depot in Pune, prompting a request for a detailed investigation report from the Maharashtra police chief.
Rahatkar, in a letter to Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla, requested an investigation report along with a copy of the victim’s complaint.
The accused, Dattatray Gade, was apprehended by Pune Police nearly three days after the incident on February 25.
