“The trainee doctor in Kolkata had gone to rest after a 36-hour-long shift…And then, at 3 am, an alcoholic abuser comes in and r#pes her brutally…so who has failed her? The system has failed her. We have failed her. The institute has failed her—she was at her workplace when this happened! She was simply doing her duty. And to those people saying that this was a gang r#pe, can the CBI tell us? Because the Kolkata Police could arrest one person within a day…”

A prominent Indian lawyer, former civil servant, and social rights activist, Abha Singh is known for her work in advocating for women's rights and legal reforms in India for the last 12 years. During this time, she has made significant contributions to fighting for justice in high-profile cases, particularly those involving women’s safety and gender equality.

Her work, however, is not limited to the courtroom. Abha Singh has been extremely vocal in calling out legal loopholes, the need for more stringent laws to protect women, and even the misuse of funds, such as the Nirbhaya Fund, intended for women's safety. She is a frequent commentator on social and legal issues in Indian media and has worked tirelessly to bring attention to systemic issues within the Indian legal and law enforcement systems.

Join us for an episode that is as spine-chilling as it is important. Abha Singh talks to us about everything—from her legal point of view on the Kolkata r#pe & murder case to how we can identify rapists, and from citizens’ rights to file an FIR to the laws women need to know about! This episode of course has all the rage that each woman in the country is facing right now… But it’s also a mandatory watch because she tells us about our rights and the laws made for our safety.

#humansofbombay #podcast #kolkatacase

For women in distress:
National Commission for Women Helpline: 7827170170
Central Social Welfare Board -Police Helpline: 1091/ 1291, (011) 23317004
Shakti Shalini: 10920
Shakti Shalini - women's shelter: (011) 24373736/ 24373737
SAARTHAK: (011) 26853846/ 26524061
All India Women's Conference: 10921/ (011) 23389680
JAGORI : (011) 26692700
+918800996640
Joint Women's Programme (also has branches in Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai): (011) 24619821
Sakshi - violence intervention center: (0124) 2562336/ 5018873
Saheli - a women’s organization: (011) 24616485 (Saturdays)
Nirmal Niketan: (011) 27859158
Nari Raksha Samiti: (011) 23973949

Legal Aid:
Human Rights Law Network runs Madhyam Helpline and provide Legal Services: (011) 24316922/ 24324503
Lawyers Collective Women’s Rights Initiative LC WRI runs a pro-bono legal aid cell for domestic violence cases: (011) 24373993/ 24372923
MARG (Multiple Action Research Group): (011) 26497483 / 26496925
Delhi Police HELPLINE: 1091
Delhi Commission for Women: (011) 23379181/ 23370597
National Human Rights Commission: (011) 23385368/9810298900
Pratidhi: (011) 22527259
Information and Services related with AIDS : Govt AIDS Helpline: 1097
Child Line- is a 24-hour, FREE, nation-wide phone outreach emergency helpline for children in need of care and protection: 1098
CATS - Centralised Ambulance for Trauma Services - Delhi Govt.: 1099
Counselling Services on Women in Distress - Organised by Delhi Police: 3317004
Sarthak - Career Guidance and Counselling for young people: 9628052777, 9628019278, 9628019279
Helpline on Breathing Problems - Organised by Better Breathers Club of India: 9628015969, 9632154536, 9628005278
Hotline for Brain Attack: 5792090, 5794733


TIME STAMPS:
00:00 - Precap
02:39 - Introducing Abha Singh
03:40 - Take on the Kolkata r*pe case
07:37 - Protesting for the Kathua case
10:26 - The legal implications of r*pe cases
17:26 - What went wrong with the RG Kar Hospital Case?
20:35 - Mindset of a rapist
28:48 - Logical outcome of a protest
30:57 - The Bilkis Bano case
33:16 - The shaming of the victim & the politics behind it
36:35 - Connection between r*pes and corruption
38:00 - Why aren’t the FIRs being filed?
40:30 - The role of the CBI investigation
43:55 - Laws that safeguard women
50:24 - What can be done to ensure safer workplaces?
58:25 - The importance of conducting trials in a timely manner
01:04:55 - Unutilization of the Nirbhaya Fund
01:07:44 - Emergency helplines & what citizens need to know
01:14:16 - Parting thoughts

Links:
Humans of Bombay
Instagram:   / officialhumansofbombay  
Uncovered by Humans of Bombay:    / @humansofbombayuncovered  
LinkedIn:   / mycompany  

Abha Singh
Instagram:   / abhasinghlawyer  
Facebook:   / abha.singh.182  
Twitter: https://x.com/abhasinghlawyer
YouTube:    / abhasinghadvocate  

Karishma Mehta
Instagram:   / karimehta05  
LinkedIn:   / karishma-mehta-b22151174