MUMBAI: In view of the growing cases of rape, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government has decided to bring a strict law on the lines of Andhra Pradesh for ensuring stringent punishment to the guilty. Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said that his ministry will incorporate all stringent clauses of the Disha Act. “The primary draft of the Disha law is almost ready and it will be soon turned into law by approving it both the Houses of the state Assembly in the winter session.
Before that, a Cabinet sub-committee meeting will be called where the final nod will be given,” Deshmukh said. “We had held a meeting with women MPs and legislators and also representatives of various organisations to discuss the government‘s move and also to seek their views for making the new act more comprehensive,” he said, expressing hope that the law should be deterrent in such cases.
The Andhra Pradesh Disha Act has provisions for enabling death penalty for rape where there is adequate conclusive evidence and reducing the judgment period in such cases to 21 working days. Investigation and trial will have to be completed within 7 and 14 working days, respectively The law was enacted after the gang-rape and killing of a doctor in Hyderabad. The case had sparked protests across the country with activists demanding speedy trial and harsher punishment for the culprits.