List steps taken for safety of women who work late: Bombay high court to Maharashtra govt

The directions came while the bench was hearing a suo moto PIL on the safety arrangements for women in the city

Expressing its concern for women who work late and have to travel alone, the Bombay high court on Monday directed the Maharashtra government to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken to ensure their safety.

A bench of justice VM Kanade and justice Nutan Sardessai observed it was the state’s responsibility to ensure a safe and secure commute for such women

The directions came while the bench was hearing a suo moto PIL on the safety arrangements for women in the city.

A bench of justice VM Kanade and justice Nutan Sardessai observed it was the state’s responsibility to ensure a safe and secure commute for such women.

The bench asked the state government to tell the court of all it had done to implement the recommendations given by the CS Dharmadhikari Commission and the Supreme Court in this regard.

The bench also cited its own previous order of September 2012, in which — while ratifying the death sentence awarded to two people convicted of the rape and murder of a BPO employee in Pune — it had said that ensuring the safety of women who have late-night shifts was the companies’ and the state’s responsibility.

The court is likely to take up the matter for further hearing on December 21.