Nagpur: The State Home Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday informed Legislative Council that the State Government is seriously mulling over enactment of a stringent law on the lines of Disha Act passed by Andhra Pradesh to effectively curb crimes against women and deal with the perpetrators sternly.
Shinde was replying to a Call Attention Motion moved by Council member Manisha Kayande regarding crimes against women. The Home Minister need not live under any kind of fear. This is aim of the government. “We are committed to provide justice to all sections of society. To provide safety and security to all women, the State Government is seriously mulling over enactment of a stringent law on the lines of Disha Act passed by Andhra Pradesh to effectively curb crimes against women and deal with the perpetrators sternly,” Shinde said. He further said that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has asked Chief Secretary Ajoy Mehta and DGP Subodh Jaiswal to submit details of the Disha Act enacted by Andhra Pradesh.
It may be recalled that, Andhra Pradesh Assembly recently passed the Andhra Pradesh Disha Bill 2019 (Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law Amendment Act 2019) to award death sentences to convicts in rape cases within 21 days. The Disha Act provides for awarding death sentence to criminals found guilty of rape and gang rape and expediting trials in such cases within 21 days. The Andhra Pradesh Assembly passed the Disha Bill, named after the 27-year-old Hyderabad veterinarian, who was raped and then burned, which mandates that cases involving crimes against women must be settled in 21 days through special courts. The bill also proposes death penalty for rape convicts in cases with sufficient evidence conclusively proving the crime, among other provisions.
Shinde highlighted the steps taken by state government to curb crimes against women and children. “The government has recently sanctioned 108 fast-track courts for speedy trial of cases involving crimes against women. The fast-track courts will ensure speedy trials and punish the offenders severely,” Shinde stated.
Others who participated in the discussion include Vidya Chavan, Suresh Dhas, Bhai Girkar, Leader of Opposition Pravin Darekar, Jogendra Kawade, Ravindra Phatak, Girish Vyas, Husna Banu, Ambadas Danve, Vilas Potnis, and others.
