Senior journalist Nidhi Razdan was stalked twice – once by a complete stranger and once by a colleague.
Razdan told The Quint that in both the cases, the stalking began with predatory messages and ended in the court.
Stalking is real and it must be taken seriously. I know this because I have experienced it myself.Nidhi Razdan
Razdan believes that “swift justice” is the only deterrent for criminals. She also adds that family and friends shouldn’t brush stalking aside as a one-off occurrence. The complainant must be taken seriously, she says.
The senior scribe also expressed her support for The Quint and Quint NEON’s #TalkingStalking campaign.
#TalkingStalking is a campaign to break the silence around stalking, wherein we’re encouraging men and women to talk about instances of being stalked. It is also a campaign to make stalking a non-bailable offence.
The case involving the stalking and attempted kidnapping of Varnika Kundu, a young woman in Chandigarh, stunned the country earlier this year. The chilling episode was a reminder of how vulnerable women still are in India, despite the outrage and the reforms brought about by the brutal gangrape and murder of ‘Nirbhaya’ in 2012.
It also drew attention to one of the significant flaws in the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013 – the designation of stalking as a bailable offence.
Kundu has agreed to front The Quint's petition to make stalking a non-bailable offence. We also found a supporter in Dr Shashi Tharoor. He will be presenting the Bill in the Parliament’s Winter Session. Sr Advocate Kamini Jaiswal, too, has pledged to take a strong stance against the menace of stalking.
Think stalking should be made a non-bailable offence? Join the #TalkingStalking movement and sign the petition on Change.org.
(Editor: Rahul Sanpui)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)