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, as well as impose time-bound limits for the conclusion of investigation and trial in rape cases.
The Bill, set to come into effect on September 5, 2024, proposes to create a ‘safer environment’ for women and children in the state.
It seeks to enhance the already prevalent penalties for rape as laid down in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) to ensure that the punishment is made more stringent, including the possibility of a death sentence for those found guilty of rape.
This decision by the Mamata Banerjee-led government comes in the wake of great unrest due to the brutal rape and murder of a resident doctor at the government-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, which led to widespread protests across the country.
The newly-tabled Bill seeks to amend various Sections of BNS, 2023, which pertain to punishment for rape, rape and murder, gangrape, repeat offenders, disclosure of victim identity, and even causing hurt by use of acid, etc. It also proposes to omit concessions under the BNS for child offenders who are found guilty of the offence of rape.
The Bill proposed to become a testament to the State’s unwavering commitment to uphold the fundamental rights of its citizens, particularly women & children, and to ensure that heinous acts of rape and sexual offences against children were met with the full force of the law.