‘Nirbhaya’ gangrape incident which shook the nation’s conscience five years ago saw government talking tough and to bring in legislations calling for strict action against the culprit with the crime to be made non-bailable. Women continue to be vulnerable in the streets, if the recent string of brutal sexual assault on them are to go by. The nation’s capital New Delhi got the credit of notorious capital if the number of gory incidents are to be taken in account. No doubt the four culprits behind the shocking 16th December case got death sentence on 5th May this year, but similar incidents continue to haunt women daily. The worst was the 29th May incident in which a 23-year-old woman was allegedly gang-raped by three men in the industrial area of Manesar, a short distance away from the bustling ‘millennium town’ of Gurgaon, after they fatally flung her nine-month-old baby out of a moving vehicle. But, this horrific episode has been preceded by several bone-chilling incidents related to sexual assaults on women. And, on 25th May, it was a highway to hell for four women who were allegedly raped by a group of five criminals at gunpoint in a field off the Yamuna Expressway and one of the four men travelling with them was shot dead when he objected to the assault. A 27-year-old woman was allegedly gangraped in front of her husband, who was tied to a tree and gagged, in Sahaswan area of Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun District. But, it is not just women, who face terror from preying men, young girls and even children continue to be subjected to sexual assaults. These are few reported cases which came to limelight and there may be many which go unreported. At the end of the day it is the woman on the streets, lanes and highways more vulnerable to such heinous acts. Governments both Centre and states should come out with legislations making such offences
calling for tough punishments and even death if need be.