West Bengal Assembly unanimously passes 'Anti-Rape' Bill, approves capital punishment for convicted offenders

The West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday unanimously passed the 'Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024,' a landmark piece of legislation aimed at strengthening protections for women and children in the state. The Bill received full support from the Opposition, ensuring its smooth passage through the House.

The Bill introduces stringent punishments for rape, including capital punishment for perpetrators whose actions result in the victim's death or leave her in a vegetative state. Additionally, it mandates a life sentence without parole for those convicted of rape, signaling a firm stance by the state government against sexual offences.

The legislation was tabled by state Law Minister Moloy Ghatak during a two-day special session of the assembly, convened in response to the recent rape-murder of a woman medic at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. This horrific incident has intensified demands for stronger legal measures to protect women and children in West Bengal.

While the Bill garnered unanimous support, proposed amendments by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari were not accepted by the House.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, facing intense criticism over the recent rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, vigorously defended the state's police force on Tuesday.

In her defence, she highlighted unsolved and equally horrific cases of assault on women in other parts of the country. Banerjee cited the 2020 rape of a 20-year-old Dalit woman in Uttar Pradesh's Hathras, the brutal 2013 rape and murder of a college student in Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, and last week's rape of a child at a government-run hospital in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

There are "abnormally high crime rates against women in states like UP and Gujarat... and there is no justice there but in Bengal women will get justice in courts," she thundered in the Assembly.

"In the Kamduni case (the North 24 Parganas rape) we demanded capital punishment... but the Supreme Court went against the High Court and the matter is pending. No one talks about what happened in Unnao (and) the victim of Hathras did not get justice..." she said.

Banerjee emphasized that the Aparajita law is designed to ensure fast-tracked investigations and stricter punishments for crimes against women and children. She stated that the law aims to "plug loopholes" in the central government's newly introduced criminal laws, taking a pointed jab at the much-vaunted set of three new laws.

During her speech, the West Bengal CM also expressed her condolences for the raped-murdered RG Kar Hospital doctor's family.

"We want justice from the CBI... the CBI should hang the criminal," Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declared, highlighting the ongoing stand-off between the Kolkata Police and the federal agency. This tension arose after the Calcutta High Court overruled the Chief Minister's position last month and transferred the case to the CBI.

Meanwhile, the BJP welcomed the bill but noted that the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) also contains stringent provisions for addressing crimes against women and children. Party leader and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari proposed a motion seeking seven amendments to the bill.

"We want immediate implementation of this (Anti-rape) law, it is your (state government) responsibility. We want results, it is the government's responsibility. We do not want any division, we fully support you, we will listen to the Chief Minister's statement comfortably, she can say whatever she wants but you have to guarantee that this bill will be implemented immediately...," Adhikari said before the Bill was unanimously passed in the Aseembly.

• West Bengal
• Anti Rape bill
• Kolkata rape case
• RG Kar Medical College