Taking up suo moto the incidents of continued violence against women Justice Kirupakaran of the High Court of Madras has posed 25 questions to the Govt. of Tamil Nadu, the Centre, the National Commission for Women, etc. “It is scary to come across newspaper reports of violence against girls/women and we are in an emergency to take effective steps to counter them,” the Judge said and posed the following questions for which replies would have to be furnished by 10th January.

•    What are the reasons for the ever- increasing number of incidents of violence against girls/women?
•    What are the issues faced by the Police while acting legally on complaints filed in this regard?
•    What is the punishment ratio of such cases registered and interrogated during the past 10 years?
•    What action is taken in such cases based on the details revealed via DNA and finger-print tests?
•    Why can’t the Centre and the State Govt. get CCTV cameras installed and monitored at important intersections across the State and elsewhere?  Did it not turn out to be useful in nabbing the killers of Udumalai Shankar?
•    Why shouldn’t the Centre and the State set up more DNA/finger-print labs across the country and in the State as plenty of such crimes take place each minute?
•    Are the victims of sexual harassment/violence, who are physically and psychologically affected by the incident(s), provided enough counseling, support, rehabilitation and relief?
•    Is it true that many crimes against women and children are not registered with the police stations?
•    Is liquor also a major reason for the crimes committed against women/children?
•    Is foeticide in cases of sexual assault on women/children a reason for reduction in male-female ratio?
•    What is the reason for increasing number of gang-rape incidents?
•    Is the Indian men’s insatiable desire for sex the reason for these crimes?
•    Is the lack of knowledge about the opposite sex (and needs) the reason?
•    Is the tendency to think of women as a ‘thing of enjoyment’ and to establish men’s supremacy over women the reasons for these crimes?
•    Is the easy of porn stuff via internet and smart-phones the reason?
•    Are the films and tele-serials aired on TV the reason for inciting youths and young boys to commit such crimes?
•    What action the Centre and the State Govt. have been taking to introduce in school syllabus appropriate sex education for all students?
•    Why can’t moral education be made mandatory/compulsory for boy students by the State and Central Governments?
•    Why haven’t the Centre and the State publicize widely the details of severe punishments to be meted out to those indulging in crimes against girls and women?
•    Why can’t VIPs, film celebrities and other prominent persons in society be involved in propaganda to respect women on par with men?  Why can’t short films be made in this regard?
•    Why can’t a team of experts from various fields (headed by a retired Judge) be established to find out reasons for the crimes and to propose amendments to be made in existing laws to curb such crimes?
•    Why can’t trained counselors and psychological experts be appointed in every school or covering a bunch of 5 schools or more by the State/Centre to identify those indulging in such crimes and to recommend ways to ensure their involvement in these crimes?
•    Are the differently-abled who face sexual harassment/violence getting compensation in the same measure as the abled persons; are schemes in place in States/UTs to provide adequate compensation to them in this regard?
•    Is it a fact that fake complaints are also lodged with an objective of taking vengeance?
•    Why can’t women and girls be provided with advanced hi-tech devices and equipments to ensure that they don’t face such harassment/violence?

Union Home Ministry, Union Ministry of Women & Child Development, National Commission for Women, Tamil Nadu Home Department, DGP of Tamil Nadu are added in the case suo moto to respond to these questions by 10th January, the Judge said.