NAGPUR: State home minister Anil Deshmukh has taken to social media seeking suggestions and amendments for the proposed anti-rape law of Maharashtra Shakti Bills which would attract capital punishment and substantial fines along with compensations for survivors of rape and acid attacks.
The citizens are open to intervene with their views, suggestions, objections and amendments, before a special committee headed by Deshmukh by 15th January.
The bills, after being passed by the state legislatures in the two-day sessions held in Mumbai in second week of December last year, has been sent to the Central government for approval followed by president's assent to come into force.
The Shakti bill, after receiving presidential assent, would also bring amendments into Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedures Code (CrPC) and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO).
The “Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) Bill, 2020” was been framed on the lines of the Andhra Pradesh Disha Act Criminal Law (AP Amendment) Act, 2019. Andhra Pradesh had enacted the stringent anti-rape law following the ghastly gang rape and murder of the veterinarian of Hyderabad.
Another draft bill, to lay down the guidelines of enforcing the Shakti legislation, has been titled as Special Court and Machinery for Implementation of Maharashtra Criminal Law, 2020.
Earlier, some women rights group and activists had strongly raised objections to the proposed law stating that it diluted the definition of rape and gave a liberal and wider scope to decriminalization of consensual rape.
Deshmukh has now tweeted his appeal asking for the citizens to come forward with their views and objections to the proposed law before the committee constituted especially for the purpose under him.