In India, sexual harassment and other forms of sexual violence in public spaces, both in urban and rural settings, are an everyday occurrence for women and girls.
Women and girls experience and fear different forms of harassment in public spaces, from?eve-teasing?to passing derogatory remarks to continuous staring, whistling, and hand gestures. It happens on the streets, in and around public transportation, schools, workplaces, and parks.
However, did you know that staring at any girl or woman for longer than 14 seconds can land the accused in?jail? This information was shared by the National Crime Investigation Bureau (NCIB) on Twitter.
In a tweet, NCIB said: "Seeing any girl/woman for more than 14 seconds can lead to jail. Because knowingly or unknowingly or jokingly staring at a familiar or unfamiliar girl/woman for more than 14 seconds is a serious crime under sections 294 and 509 of the IPC. Such cases come under molestation."
The bureau further said that those proven guilty of indulging in such acts can be imprisoned for a minimum of 3 months, and it can even extend to a year. The accused could also be fined.?
While the information is important, desis were intrigued and expressed their opinions on it.?
"I have lots of questions Why only 14 sec?What if the man was wearing glasses?How can a girl prove it?Why is this rule only limited to girls?I agree with the safety of women should be of the highest priority.I think this rule can get misused, it should be analyzed properly," a person said.?
"Instead of making laws more implementable, we are making a mockery out of them by these kind of outlandish interpretations. Who exactly will be counting how many seconds?It's ok if staring happened for 13.99 secs and not 14.01 secs? Utter nonsense. Banana republic," a second person said.?
"It's the most obnoxious law to have ever existed. The laws are biased and predatory. Instead of promoting equality, these laws victimize men. Repeal of such unscientific laws is the need of the hour. Indian Judiciary demands urgent reforms," a person opined.
This is not the first time that a comment on how a stare lasting for more than 14 seconds could get a person prison time has made news.?
Earlier in 2016, KeralaĄ¯s senior IPS officer and Excise Commissioner Rishi Raj Singh said if a man stares at a girl/woman for more than 14 seconds, he could end up in jail.
After stirring up a storm of largely sarcastic trolls over his public pronouncement, Raj Singh then explained that it is not the duration of the stare but whether it makes a woman uncomfortable that decides its criminality.
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