Mamata govt to table ‘Aparajita Women & Child Bill’ in Assembly on Tuesday

Kolkata, Sep 2 (IANS) The new Bill that seeks capital punishment for convicts in rape and murder cases to be introduced during the two-day special session of the West Bengal Assembly has been named ‘Aparajita Women & Child Bill’, said sources on Monday.

The Bill, proposed amid the nationwide protests against the rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata last month, will be moved on the floor of the Assembly on Tuesday by the state Law Minister, Malaya Ghatak, following which there will be a discussion on the said bill.

According to Trinamool Congress sources, there is a high chance that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be present in the state Assembly on Tuesday and participate in the debate on the bill.

A total of two hours will be allotted for discussions on the proposed bill.

Last month, while addressing an event marking the foundation day of the Trinamool Congress student wing, CM Mamata Banerjee announced the proposed bill and said it would be passed in a special session of the Assembly.

She had written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking stringent Central legislation on incidents of rape and meting out exemplary punishment to perpetrators of such crimes.

In her letter, the Chief Minister requested the Prime Minister to initiate a process so that the trial in such cases can be completed within 15 days.

However, there have been counter-arguments to such a move on the part of the state government with the opposition parties and legal brains pointing out that there are existing strong legal provisions nationally for dealing with such cases.

Recently the state administration and police have been under scathing attack from different sections of society over the manner of handling the sensitive matter of the rape and murder of the woman doctor, with many accusing that there had been attempts on the part of the state administration to cover up the secrets behind the tragedy.

–IANS

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