‘Shakti act’: Maharashtra’s new bill on sexual crimes to have death penalty, hefty fines

In a bid to curb crimes in opposition to girls and kids in Maharashtra, the state cupboard has accepted a draft invoice known as the Shakti act that has provisions for stern punishment, together with the dying penalty, life sentence, and hefty fines in opposition to perpetrators.

A press release from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) stated on Wednesday that two payments will probably be tabled within the legislature – the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2020, and the Special Court & Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law, 2020 – to provide form to the regulation in opposition to perpetrators of crime in opposition to girls and kids. The draft invoice will probably be tabled within the state legislature throughout the upcoming two-day winter session in Mumbai on December 14-15.

Here’s every little thing you could know in regards to the Shakti act:

1. The Shakti act is modelled on the strains of Andhra Pradesh’s Disha act, which was introduced final yr. A committee was set as much as research the Disha act and put together the same regulation. After this, a cupboard sub-committee headed by PWD minister Ashok Chavan was set as much as approve the draft act and put it earlier than the cupboard for clearance.

2. The draft invoice will come up for dialogue and approval in each homes of the legislature. After getting the home nod, the invoice will probably be despatched to the central authorities for approval and presidential assent.

3. The draft invoice seeks to amend related sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

4. It supplies for finishing probe in a case inside 15 days and trial inside 30 days. Therefore, there’s a stipulated timeframe for finishing the investigation and trial.

5. Stringent punishment, together with the dying penalty and heavy fines on the perpetrators is a key function of the draft invoice. The perpetrators will probably be punished with imprisonment for all times for not lower than ten years however could prolong to the rest of pure life or with dying in circumstances characterised as ‘heinous’.

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6. Special police groups and separate courts will probably be arrange for investigation and trial of circumstances in opposition to girls and kids underneath the brand new laws. As many as 36 particular courts, every having a particular public prosecutor have been proposed to be arrange.

7. In circumstances involving acid assaults, a sum of Rs 10 lakh will probably be given to the sufferer for cosmetic surgery and facial reconstruction and the quantity will probably be collected as positive from the accused.

9. Some circumstances will probably be tried in-camera for the recording of proof of victims and witnesses who’re weak.

10. The draft invoice additionally incorporates provisions with respect to social media. Threatening and intimidating girls on social media will probably be an offence with a most punishment of two years and a Rs 1 lakh positive. This additionally contains importing morphed movies of ladies or threatening them with importing of pictures, movies which may defame, trigger disrepute to them or violate their privateness.

11. The invoice additionally proposes organising of a “Women and Children Offenders Registry” linked to the National Registry of Sexual Offenders with particulars of individuals convicted of specified offences of sexual violence in opposition to girls and kids.