West Bengal. The Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal introduced the Anti-Rape Bill in the Assembly on Tuesday. The draft bill proposes a provision for death penalty for such culprits in case the rape victim dies or goes into an unconscious state. The opposition party BJP will also support the bill.
Apart from this, it has been proposed in the draft that the people convicted of rape and gang rape should be given life imprisonment. This proposed law titled ‘Aparajita Mahila and Bal Bill (West Bengal Criminal Law and Amendment) (Anti-rape) Bill 2024’ aims to strengthen the protection of women and children by including new provisions related to rape and sexual crimes.
Speaking in the House, Mamata Banerjee has called this (Anti-rape) bill historic. Last month, a female doctor of Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was raped and murdered. Amidst nationwide protests against this shameful incident, this proposed bill was introduced by the state Law Minister Malay Ghatak. Now this (Anti-rape) bill will be discussed.
The bill, which seeks amendment to the relevant provision under the Indian Justice Code 2023, Indian Civil Defense Code 2023 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act 2012, will apply to victims of all ages. If this (Anti-rape) bill is passed, the culprits in rape and murder cases will be sentenced to life imprisonment. This means that they will have to spend their entire life in jail and will not be released after just a few years. There will also be provisions for financial penalties.
