IIM-Calcutta student, accused of rape, granted bail
Kolkata, Jul 19 (PTI): A court on Saturday granted interim bail to a student of the Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta accused of raping a woman on the campus.
The accused was arrested on the basis of an FIR lodged by the woman at Haridevpur police station on July 11 and has been in police custody since then.
The additional chief judicial magistrate at Alipore court granted bail to the accused student on a bond of Rs 50,000.
The court directed the student to deposit his passport and not to leave the state without its permission.
The woman, a clinical psychologist, alleged in the FIR that she was called to the hostel by the accused for a counselling session and was allegedly raped there by him.
The prosecution counsel prayed for judicial remand of the accused, claiming that releasing him on bail at this early stage will jeopardise the investigation in the case.
Praying for bail of the accused, his lawyer submitted before the court that the complainant did not appear before the magistrate for recording her statement.
He also claimed that a medico-legal test of the complainant had not been done.
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Karnataka launches India’s first digital grievance system for gig workers
Bengaluru: In a first-of-its-kind initiative in India, the Karnataka government has launched a digital grievance redressal system for gig workers to provide structured support and protection to platform-based workers.
According to The Hindu, the system, developed by the Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers’ Board in collaboration with the Department of e-Governance, allows workers to file complaints through the Integrated Public Grievance Redressal System (IPGRS).
Gig workers can raise issues related to pay, working conditions, and platform-specific disputes. Complaints will be routed to the Internal Dispute Resolution Committees (IDRCs) of respective platforms and are expected to be resolved within a defined timeframe. This is expected to bring transparency and legal recourse for a workforce that has so far operated without a formal dispute resolution framework.
Under The Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Act and Rules, every aggregator platform must constitute an Internal Dispute Resolution Committee (IDRC). Platforms such as Namma Yatri and Yulu have already integrated their IDRC contact details with the government portal.
Around 12 lakh gig workers have been identified in the state, and a unique identification system is being developed to remove duplicate entries. Officials said welfare schemes are also being designed based on type of work, working hours, and contribution.
Labour Minister Santosh Lad said that Karnataka, technology capital of the country, is leveraging this potential for worker welfare as well. “By launching this system, we are ensuring that the gig economy is no longer an informal space, but a structured one where every worker’s voice is heard,” he said.
“The schemes will vary based on the type of platforms. For example, cab rides are mostly undertaken by men whereas urban domestic activity is undertaken mostly by women. It may also be based on the contribution made, and the quantum of gig work done by a gig worker. Some gig workers work for more than eight hours while some may work on a few gigs. So, work load, nature of work, and time period of work could vary,” TH quoted G. Manjunath, Additional Labour Commissioner and CEO of the Board as saying.
“It has to be scientifically structured based on their effort and labour. We are working with experts, including academicians from Briston University, King’s College, and IISc, and other stake holders, including board members,” he said.
Officials added that aggregator platforms will be required to contribute 1 per cent towards worker welfare, with implementation beginning July 5.
