Anti-rape bill passed in West Bengal Assembly: If the victim goes into coma or dies, the culprit will be hanged within 10 days

The anti-rape bill was passed in the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday. Under the new law, the investigation of a rape case will have to be completed within 21 days. Apart from this, if the victim goes into coma or dies, the culprit will be hanged within 10 days. BJP has also supported the bill.

It has been named the Aparajita Women and Child Bill 2024 (West Bengal Criminal Law and Amendment). Now it will be sent to the Governor. After that it will go to the President. After being passed at both places, it will become a law.

A trainee doctor was raped and murdered in Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on 8-9 August. After this, following protests by doctors and political parties across the country, Mamata Banerjee had said that she would make strict laws for crimes like rape in the state. She had also written a letter to the Prime Minister twice for this.

1. What is the name of the bill and its purpose?
Answer: The Bengal government has named the bill as Aparajita Women and Child Bill 2024. Its purpose is to increase the safety of women and children in cases of rape and sexual abuse by amending the West Bengal Criminal Law and Amendment Bill.

2. When will the culprit be given the death penalty?
Answer: If the victim dies during the rape or goes into a coma, then in this situation the culprit should be given the death penalty.

3. What will be the jail term if the rapist is given life imprisonment?
Answer: The bill states that the convict of rape-gang rape should be given life imprisonment. He should be kept in jail for the whole life. He should not be given parole during this period. Under the current law, the minimum sentence for life imprisonment is 14 years. After being sentenced to life imprisonment, the sentence can be pardoned, parole can be given. The sentence can also be reduced, but one will have to spend 14 years in jail.

4. Which sections have been changed in the bill?
Answer: The draft bill proposes changes in sections 64, 66, 70(1), 71, 72(1), 73, 124(1) and 124(2) of the Indian Penal Code. These mainly include cases of rape punishment, rape and murder, gang rape, continuous crime, revealing the identity of the victim, acid attack. It proposes to remove sections 65(1), 65(2) and 70(2). In these, convicts below the age of 12, 16 and 18 years are punished.

5. What is there in the bill on the investigation of rape-murder and gangrape?
Answer: According to the draft bill, the investigation in rape cases should be completed within 21 days. This investigation can be extended by 15 days, but this will be done only by the Superintendent of Police and officers of equivalent rank, before this they will have to give the reason for this in writing in the case diary.