Rupali Chakankar, head of the Maharashtra Commission for Women, on Friday claimed the panel did its job in a case related to dowry harassment victim Vaishnavi Hagawane's family, but there were lapses on the police's part. Opposition parties have been demanding her resignation for alleged `inaction' after it came to light that the police did not conduct proper probe when the other daughter-in-law of the Hagawane family had complained of harassment in the past.
Vaishnavi Hagawane (26) allegedly committed suicide in Pune on May 16, with her family alleging that her in-laws tortured her for dowry. Her father-in-law Rajendra Hagawane — now under arrest — was subsequently expelled from the ruling Nationalist Congress Party, the party to which Chakankar belongs.
"Anyone's resignation can be demanded. Resignations of the prime minister, home minister and chief minister are also demanded. In a democracy, it is Opposition's job to demand resignation," Chakankar told reporters here. "The women's commission did its job. It had given instructions to the police for action, but there was a delay in filing the First Information Report. Inquiry to find out who was responsible for it is going on," she added.
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Chakankar also said that Maharashtra has stringent laws to prevent incidents such as dowry death, but people and even women neglect these laws. "Though sex determination tests are banned in the state, these tests are conducted, and people opt for abortion if the foetus is female. School certificates are tampered with and child marriages take place. Giving and taking dowry is a crime. If someone is demanding dowry, a complaint should be lodged with the police. But it does not happen. The opposition thinks the women's commission should do all this. How is it possible?" she said.
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