Imphal, May 13: A two-day independent people's tribunal on crime against women, which heard the grievances of victims' relatives here today, will recommend several measures to the Centre and the state to prevent such crimes.

Altogether 20 relatives of victims shared their experiences while filing their cases and complained of "police apathy" towards their issues on the concluding day today.

Former Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court and former chairman of the Manipur Human Rights Commission, W.A. Shishak, and the former Tripura director-general of police, K.S. Subramanian, were the panel members at the hearing.

Around five resource persons, involved in dealing with cases of crime against women, shared their experiences.

The tribunal was jointly organised by NGOs and rights groups under the initiative of the Women Action for Development (WAD), an Imphal-based organisation.

"The recommendations will be finalised after the resource persons, police officers and panel members hold a meeting. It will come up in the next few days," the secretary of Women Action for Development, Sobita Mangsatabam, said.

According to data prepared by the organisation, there were 1,559 cases of crimes against women between 2005 and 2015. The resource persons, including a former director of the prosecution department, blamed the slow progress of investigation for the delay in submitting chargesheets and conviction. "Criminal justice administration in Manipur is not a success story, rather a dismal failure. This is the perception of the people," Shishak said.

K. Supriyaof the forensics department of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, said according to the records of the department, there were 84 and 30 cases of sexual assault last year and this year so far, respectively.

There was one case each of rape and murder in 2015 and this year.

The deputy inspector-general of police, I.K. Muivah, admitted that the police were more engaged in dealing with law and order and had little time to investigate the cases of crimes against women.

"However, after setting up an all-women police station each in Imphal West and Imphal East districts, the number of chargesheets submitted and disposal of cases increased," Muivah said.

Muivah sought an upgrade of the state's forensic science laboratory at Pangei in Imphal East with adequate staff and equipment so that tests could be carried out locally and results available faster.

The executive director of Human Rights Alert, Babloo Loitongbam, said mob justice would increase in the state as long as perpetrators are left scot free.

He said Imphal West women police station registered 146 cases of crimes against women since it was opened on April 22, 2014. Of these, chargesheets were submitted in 41 cases and 17 cases were disposed of.

A delay in getting results from Forensic Science Laboratory, Calcutta, delayed the entire process of submitting chargesheets, he added.