Maharashtra Legislature Sends Shakti Bill to Joint Committee

The Bill was introduced in Mumbai and is set to be proposed in the state legislature during the winter session.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@AnilDeshmukhNCP)

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Monday, 15 December, requested the committee to make a final draft of the Shakti Bill before the upcoming budget session of the assembly.

Devendra Fadnavis, BJP leader and the Leader of Opposition (LoP), in Maharashtra Assembly said that the government has accepted our demand to send this Bill to the Joint Select Committee. This is a very important Bill and a detailed discussion around it is a must.

As per our reports, the committee will review the Bill, which will be reintroduced in the budget session in February-March. The Bill will be introduced with the JSC report.

The bill seeks to amend the sections of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to be implemented as law in the state.

Special police squads and separate courts will be set up for investigating and deliberating on cases against women and children, according to the draft bill.

The Bill reportedly says that if found guilty, the perpetrator will be punished with imprisonment for not less than ten years and may even be imprisoned for life or sentenced to death, depending on the nature of the crime.

Under the proposed bill, a sum of Rs 10 lakh will be given to the victims of acid attacks and the amount will be collected from the convict as a fine.

Reportedly, the time for appeal has been brought down from the existing six months to 45 days.

PTI reported that the Shakti Act includes instances of threatening and intimidating women on social media, making false complaints of rape, molestation, acid attacks, non-cooperation in investigation, disclosure of victims’ identities in case of molestation and acid attacks as crimes.

(With inputs from ANI, NDTV and PTI)