Amid noisy scenes, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government on Tuesday unanimously passed the stringent Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, that recommends, among other provisions, a death penalty for a rapist in the event of a victim’s death.
The bill was passed in the Assembly with support from members of the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but not without vociferous protests by saffron party members when Chief Minister Banerjee mentioned that the rate of crimes against women was high in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
The bill will now be sent to West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose and then to President Droupadi Murmu for their assent.
The Chief Minister described the bill “historic” and a tribute to the junior doctor murdered in Kolkata’s R G Kar Medical College and Hospital last month. West Bengal has now become the first state to amend Central laws dealing with rape and sexual offences.
Banerjee, at the end of her reply, slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded his resignation.
She said, “Rape is a now a national shame. Let us come together for social reform which is needed to prevent rapes.”
As per the stringent provisions of the bill, a rapist would be hanged to death if his crime results in the death of the victim or leaves her in a vegetative state. The bill also recommends life sentence without parole for rape convicts.
The Aparajita Woman and Child Bill, (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024 proposes to amend the newly-passed Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 laws and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012 “in their application to the state of West Bengal to enhance punishment and to constitute the
framework for expeditious investigation and trial of the heinous act of violence against women and children”.
The bill, tabled by Law Minister Moloy Ghatak, was passed unanimously after discussions and a reply by the Leader of the House and Chief Minister Banerjee.
Speaker Biman Banerjee announced the passing of the bill and adjourned the house sine die at the end of the two-day special session.
During the debate, Leader of Opposition Suvendhu Adhikari, while supporting the bill, told the House that it was the duty of the government to ensure the bill becomes a law and is implemented at the earliest.
Adhikari had also given some written amendments, which were rejected by the Speaker. The rejection saw BJP MLAs shouting slogans seeking the Chief Minister’s resignation and demanding justice for the murdered medic.
The bill was tabled in view of the alleged rape-cum-murder of the 31-year-old lady medic and national outrage over the incident that sparked an OPD strike by state’s junior doctors which has continued over the past 26 days.
