The News National Bureau ;
MamataBanerjee government passed the new Anti Rape law in #Bengal Assembly, making amendments in the sections of rape, gangrape of new BNSS 2023. ‘APARAJITA’ ALLOWS CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR CONVICTED RAPISTS
The West Bengal government has passed an anti-rape amendment bill titled ‘Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024’, seeking to amend the punishment for sexual crimes such as rape and to impose time-bound limits for the conclusion of investigation and trial in rape cases.
The bill is set to come into effect from 5th September, 2024.
BNSS 2023 section 64 rape and 66 Gangrape mandated minimum 10 years & 20 years of imprisonment respectively, which may extend to life. The Bengal new Aparajita Bill adds DEATH TO BOTH THE SECTIONS AS ADDITIONAL OPTION TO THE EXISTING PENALTIES. APARAJITA LAW REPLACES THE PREVIOUS Minimum jail term of 10 or 20 years with LIFE .
The Aparajita bill mandates time bound investigation within 21 days.
The Bengal bill replaces BNSS 2023 law on acid attack that called for imprisonment for 10 years with rigorous imprisonment for life.
The Bill proposes “to create a safer environment for women and children” in the state and seeks to enhance the already prevalent penalties for rape as laid down in the BNS to ensure that the punishment is made more stringent, including the possibility of a death sentence for those found guilty of rape.
“It is a testament to the State’s unwavering commitment to uphold the fundamental rights of its citizens, particularly women and children, and to ensure that heinous acts of rape and sexual offences against children are met with the full force of the law”, it states. The Bill was drafted by a team led by Advocate Sanjay Basu comprising Advocates Sucharita Basu, Soumen Mohanty, Swati Sharma, Riddhi Jain, Shibana Farheen, Upasana Mohanty and Pragya Basak (Intern).
