Draft Bill seeking death penalty for crimes against women cleared by Maha Cabinet
Mumbai, Dec 10: In a bid to curb heinous crimes against women and children in Maharashtra, the state cabinet approved a draft bill that has provisions for stern punishment, including the death penalty, life sentence, and hefty fines, for the perpetrators, and also speedy trial.
The draft bill seeks to amend relevant sections of the IPC, CrPC and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act for the proposed law''s application in the state.
The cabinet approved the draft bill at a meeting in Mumbai and it will be tabled in the state legislature during its upcoming winter session, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh told reporters after the meeting.
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A
two-day
winter
session
of
the
legislature
begins
in
Mumbai
from
December
14.
He
said
the
bill,
to
be
called
the
"Shakti
Act",
will
come
up
for
discussion
and
approval
in
both
houses
of
the
legislature.
It
provides
for
completing
probe
in
a
case
within
15
days
and
trial
within
30
days,
Deshmukh
said.
After
getting
the
house
nod,
the
bill
will
be
sent
to
the
Central
government
for
approval
and
Presidential
assent,
Deshmukh
said.
A statement from the Chief Minister''s Office (CMO) said the bill will be tabled in the legislature in two parts - the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2020 and the Special Court and Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020.
The provisions of the new law aim to control heinous sexual offences against women and children, the minister said.
It provides for completing investigation and trial within a stipulated time-frame and stringent punishment, including the death penalty and heavy fines, for the culprits, Deshmukh said.
Special police teams and separate courts will be set up for investigation and trial of cases against women and children, according to the draft bill.
The perpetrators, if found guilty, will be punished with imprisonment for life for not less than ten years but may extend to the remainder of natural life or with death in cases which have characteristics of being heinous in nature, it said.
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