<p>The Maharashtra government today submitted to Bombay High Court a proposed set of guidelines to ensure safety of women who work late night and commute alone, which includes a recommendation that women be given personal safety gadgets such as pepper spray by the employers.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Women working between 7 PM and 7 AM should be provided with car pick-up and drop facility with security personnel and trained in self-defense, besides giving them personal safety gadgets like tasers and pepper spray, the government proposals stated, among other things.<br /><br />The division bench of Justices V M Kanade and P D Kode had yesterday said while private firms are bound to ensure the safety of women employees working late hours, the state should come up with some guidelines for the firms.<br /><br />The court's remarks came during the hearing of the death confirmation appeals of Purushottam Borate and Pradeep Kokade, who have been convicted for kidnapping, rape and murder of a female BPO employee in Pune in 2007.<br /><br />Purshottam, a driver with a logistics company, picked up the victim from her home to take her to the Wipro office for her night shift, but instead took her to a secluded spot. He and Kokade then raped and murdered her.<br /><br />Pune court awarded them death sentence this year, and it will have to be confirmed by the High Court. Both prosecution and defense completed the arguments today.<br /><br />Public prosecutor Revathi Dhere submitted a three-page document listing the measures that government proposes to take.<br /><br />It includes a direction that every organisation which employs women should evolve an approved 'Standard Operating Procedure', and a compliance report regarding training program for employees, security staff and drivers should be submitted to the local police station annually.<br /><br />It is also proposed that ownership of hired vehicles and identity of owners and drivers should be verified and the security staff should be sourced from licensed and approved agencies.<br /><br />Besides this, GPS units should be installed in cars along with CCTVs, and every company should have a control room manned by trained staff to help the woman in case of emergency.</p>
<p>The Maharashtra government today submitted to Bombay High Court a proposed set of guidelines to ensure safety of women who work late night and commute alone, which includes a recommendation that women be given personal safety gadgets such as pepper spray by the employers.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Women working between 7 PM and 7 AM should be provided with car pick-up and drop facility with security personnel and trained in self-defense, besides giving them personal safety gadgets like tasers and pepper spray, the government proposals stated, among other things.<br /><br />The division bench of Justices V M Kanade and P D Kode had yesterday said while private firms are bound to ensure the safety of women employees working late hours, the state should come up with some guidelines for the firms.<br /><br />The court's remarks came during the hearing of the death confirmation appeals of Purushottam Borate and Pradeep Kokade, who have been convicted for kidnapping, rape and murder of a female BPO employee in Pune in 2007.<br /><br />Purshottam, a driver with a logistics company, picked up the victim from her home to take her to the Wipro office for her night shift, but instead took her to a secluded spot. He and Kokade then raped and murdered her.<br /><br />Pune court awarded them death sentence this year, and it will have to be confirmed by the High Court. Both prosecution and defense completed the arguments today.<br /><br />Public prosecutor Revathi Dhere submitted a three-page document listing the measures that government proposes to take.<br /><br />It includes a direction that every organisation which employs women should evolve an approved 'Standard Operating Procedure', and a compliance report regarding training program for employees, security staff and drivers should be submitted to the local police station annually.<br /><br />It is also proposed that ownership of hired vehicles and identity of owners and drivers should be verified and the security staff should be sourced from licensed and approved agencies.<br /><br />Besides this, GPS units should be installed in cars along with CCTVs, and every company should have a control room manned by trained staff to help the woman in case of emergency.</p>