No regrets about 'gang rape' remark, says George

 Home Minister K J George on Friday said he did not “regret” his recent statement suggesting that two men sexually assaulting a woman cannot be termed a “gang” rape.

George, who convened a hurried press conference to defend himself on the day Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi was visiting the State, contradicted himself by saying that he was “not misquoted”, but was being “targeted” unnecessarily by the media.

On October 7, after the chief minister’s review meeting with the Home, Transport and Labour departments, George – when a couple of television channel representatives posed a question – had said, “How can you say this is a gang rape? Gang rape involves at least four to five people. In this case, we have already arrested the two culprits.”

George said he would respond to the notice sent by the National Commission for Women when he receives it.

The minister said when the media asked him about the incident on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to the City, his attempt was to ensure that the government’s image was not dented.

“I was asked if the gang-rape incident posed an embarrassment to the government on the eve of the prime minister’s visit. The public perception about gang rape is that a group of people rape a girl/woman. It was also a prestige issue, as the police had cracked the case and made arrests. By continuously terming it a gang rape, the image of the government and the department was at stake,” he said.

He said that even before he made the controversial statement, the case was registered against the two suspects under IPC 376 D (gang rape).

“The law clearly says that more than two people committing sexual assault is gang rape and the case has been booked under IPC 376 D. Rape is a heinous and condemnable crime,” he said.

Case against firm

Police Commissioner N S Megharik, who was present alongside George, said a case had also been booked against the company in which the 22-year-old victim was working, for not providing transport facility to its employees.

When asked about action against similar such companies which have not provided transport facilities to their employees, he said it was the responsibility of the Labour department to initiate action against them.

NCW slaps notice on minister

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has sent a notice to Home Minister K J George taking suo motu cognizance of his remarks suggesting that rape by two men cannot be termed gang rape, reports PTI from Delhi. “It is a suo motu notice. We have asked for an immediate explanation, failing which he will be summoned by the Commission,” NCW chief Lalitha Kumaramangalam said on Friday. “He doesn’t even know what rape means and that is why he has commented like this. He is another example of a person who comments on violence against women without pondering over it,” she said.