CNN Central News & Network–ITDC India Epress/ITDC News Bhopal: With the West Bengal Assembly having passed the ‘Aparajita Bill’ recently, introducing death penalty for rape following protests against the rape and murder of a young doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, examines how the proposed legislation compares with a similar Bill previously passed by the Maharashtra Assembly. However, the latter has not received the mandatory assent of the President yet.
Other states such as Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh too have passed laws prescribing death penalty as the maximum punishment in all cases of rape by amending the criminal laws at force then. However, the President has not yet given her assent to any of these. The Aparajita Bill also recommends formation of a Special Task Force and trial by special courts in every district for rape cases.
In 2020, the Maharashtra government passed the Shakti Bill – Shakti Criminal Laws (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020 which introduced death penalty in rape cases and provided shortened timelines for conducting investigation and trial. While the Shakti Bill introduced death penalty in “heinous” acid attack cases where circumstances warrant exemplary punishment, the Aparajita Bill of West Bengal only recommends “rigorous imprisonment for life”.