On a significant day on 3rd September, the Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024 was passed unanimously in the West Bengal State Assembly. The Opposition is also in favour of this Bill, which will ensure capital punishment in the country for rape convicts. This Bill was introduced in the wake of the rape and murder incident, which took place in the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, in Kolkata. After approval from the Governor of the state, and the President of the country, this will be solidified as a law, and will be a step forward in mitigating gender-based violence in India.
Introducing the Bill
A 2-day Special Session of the Assembly was called on Monday, to discuss the mass outrage at the brutal rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. On Tuesday, state Law Minister, Moloy Ghatak, introduced this Bill. This legislation makes West Bengal the first state to propose amendments to central laws for such crimes. During the session, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is quoted to be saying, “Rape is a curse against humanity”. Banerjee also says that this Bill is “a historic and model Bill”, that will make sure that the women in the country are safe, by dishing out harsh punishments to offenders.
Key Points of the Bill
- The major provision of the Bill is the death penalty for sexual offenders, if the victim faces death, or is reduced to a vegetative state.
- In other scenarios where someone faces rape, the rapist will face a life sentence without parole.
- Other than these punishments, there are provisions of creating an Aparajita Task Force – it will provide appropriate punishment to sexual criminals within 21 days of the preliminary report.
- Female staff and doctors cannot be made to work for more than 12 hours.
- A mobile app called “Ratri Saathi” is also being proposed. Women can use this app to send a direct SOS call to the nearest police station.
- All of these measures are accompanied by installation of CCTVs.
What is the Future of the Bill?
The Leader of Opposition of the state, Suvendu Adhikari, stated that BJP legislators are in support of this Bill, and he prompted for immediate execution of the laws. After Adhikari’s speech, Opposition MLAs raised slogans and called for Mamata Banerjee’s resignation, because of the grevious offence that happened under her government. Banerjee urged LoP Adhikari to get the Governor, CV Ananda Bose, to give his approval for the Bill. The West Bengal CM asserted that the rape case has been transferred to the CBI, and the CBI should provide justice by hanging the criminals. This Bill must be approved so that justice can be done through the capital punishment.
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Conclusion
The rape and murder of the 31-year-old doctor had angered the entire nation. It is high time that the political leaders come together to address the issue that the female half of the country’s population is living in unsafe conditions. The Aparajita Women and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024 may not provide immediate safety to women, but it may go a long way in deterring predatory men from engaging in despicable actions.
About the Author
Gauri Mittal is a Literature graduate who likes to gather titbits about random subjects like politics, linguistics, psychology, and history. She’s an aspiring writer who enjoys reading classics. Can be found writing Poetry or listening to K-pop.
