Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, March 18: A Training Programme on Legal aspects in cases of Domestic Violence, Dowry Harassment/Deaths and POSH Act & Victim Compensation Schemes for Public Prosecutors posted in all over India was organized by Central Detective Training Institute at Chandigarh. Ms. Surabhi Prashar, CJM-cum-Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, SAS Nagar, while addressing the gathering, apprised the Public Prosecutors of various provisions under Dowry Prohibition Act (Act 28 of 1961), Dowry Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 1984 and cases under Dowry Harassment/Deaths under BNS-2023. She disclosed that as per ‘Dowry Prohibition (Amendment) Act, 1986 with a view to combat the increasing menace of dowry deaths.
Section 80 BNS, 2023 lays down that where the death of a woman is caused by burns or bodily injury or occurs otherwise that under normal circumstances within seven years of marriage and it is shown that soon before the death of the woman she was subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or his relations for or in connection with any demand for wordy, such death shall be called “dowry death” and the husband or relatives shall be deemed to have caused her death.
She further educated the Prosecutors that Section 498-A, I.P.C. (now Section 85 BNS, 2023) was introduced in the Penal Code by Criminal Law (Second Amendment) Act of 1983, which came into force with effect from 25th of December, 1983.
Secretary, DLSA also apprised the Public Prosecutors regarding provisions of PoSH Act and discussed about the guidelines given by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case Vishakha and others v. State of Rajasthan. She further discussed the significant ruling in the case of Aureliano Fernandes v State of Goa and Others in which the Hon’ble Supreme Court has highlighted several lapses and gaps in the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013.
Sexual harassment also includes the conduct of co-workers who engage in verbal or physically harassing behavior, Sexual advances, requests or demand for sexual favours, either explicitly or implicitly, in return for employment, promotion or examination, Eve teasing, unwelcome invitations meet outside office, suggestive comments or jokes, physical confinement against one’s will and intruding one’s privacy etc. which have the potential to humiliate or embarrass an employee or the company.
She further elaborated the steps to be taken for the prevention of sexual harassment at the work place and she guided the audience by giving various suggestions like dealing upfront with the harasser, do not pretend it did not happen, immediately inform the alleged harasser that the behaviour is unwelcome, demand that the harassment must stop. Besides this, training on the topics of Punjab Compensation Scheme, 2017 and NALSA’s Compensation Scheme for Women Victims/Survivors of Sexual Assault/other Crimes-2018 was also imparted.
