The Karnataka State Women’s Commission has urged the Director-General of Police Neelamani Raju to set up a cybercrime cell in the commission as most complaints involved the misuse of various social media platforms to victimise women.
Commission chairperson Nagalakshmi Bai told reporters that more than 60 per cent of the complaints received by the commission involve the misuse of social media. The commission has to depend on the police department’s cybercrime wing to investigate the crime and the process takes a long time. Hence, Ms. Bai said a cyber crime cell in the commission will help them pursue the complaints expeditiously.
Out of the 5,080 complaints the commission received during the last two years, 4,500 had been resolved. The remaining are in different stages of investigation.
Ms. Bai, who also visited Shahi Exports in Mysuru after receiving complaints, expressed surprise over the absence of any complaints submitted to the internal complaints committee (ICC) of the factory even though a large number of employees were facing a variety of problems.
She lashed out at the Labour Department for their alleged inaction in the matter of harassment to women employees in various companies, particularly textile factories.
Ms. Bai said she is working towards overhauling the ICC, which comprises not only employees, but also representatives of the management.
“When the management representatives are present in the committee, the employees will hesitate to complain, lest they lose their jobs. Hence, the commission is working towards removing the management representatives from the ICC. Let there be representatives from NGOs, doctors or advocates,” she said.