The State government on Tuesday formed a five-member committee to draft within 10 days a stringent law to curb crimes against women. The Opposition has been criticising the Maha Vikas Aghadi government following several incidents of violence against women in the State.
The committee headed by Aswati Dorje, chairman of Maharashtra Police Academy, includes Niyati Thakker Dave, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone V); V.M. Bhat, deputy secretary of the Home Department; and experts from civil society and the law if necessary. The panel has to submit the draft to the government through the Director General of Police within 10 days.
Home Minister Anil Deshmukh along with five officials from the Home Department had travelled to Hyderabad to study the Disha Act and the possibility of implementing it in Maharashtra. By March 30, the State government will receive a report from the delegation. The A.P. Assembly has passed the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2019, which mandates probing a case of violence against a woman in seven days and trial in 14 working days, reducing the total judgment time to 21 days from the existing four months. Demands have been raised in Maharashtra to enact a law on similar lines.