RIGHTS AWARENESS NEEDED TO CURB TYRANNY OF RWAS

AST week, a peculiar case came to light in Bengaluru where an apartment complex association had established a parallel justice system with the help of a private security agency.

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It had framed bylaws for the flat dwellers and criminal activities—including sexual harassment, use of narcotics and theft—were settled internally, with the association imposing fines ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹50,000 on 'offenders'. Over five months, the association had collected ₹3.3 lakh to suppress various crimes, until a whistleblower resident informed the police which filed an FIR against the association for extralegal activities. In an increasing number of cases, society associations, while authorised to keep vigil on illegal activities, are donning the role of vigilantes. A young man living in a Bengaluru flat recounted on Reddit that he was forced to vacate after a w