Amid spurt in crimes against women and children, demand for stringent law grows in U’khand
Thursday, 05 September 2024 | PURNIMA BISHT | DEHRADUN
In view of the recent spurt in the cases of heinous crimes against women and children in Uttarakhand, the clamour for having a stringent law in the State is growing. Many opine that the State needs to emulate West Bengal which has recently passed the Aparajita Woman and Child Bill 2024, also known as the Anti-Rape Bill, in its Vidhan Sabha. This bill seeks to amend key sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, aiming to impose harsher penalties for severe crimes, including the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole for those convicted. The bill also introduces stricter sentences for repeat offenders.
The president of the State’s women’s wing of Congress, Jyoti Rautela, emphasised the need for a stricter law in Uttarakhand, citing the ongoing court case of Ankita Bhandari who was brutally murdered two years ago. She highlighted that many sexual assault cases remain unreported due to lengthy legal processes, leading victims and their families to suffer prolonged trauma. Rautela stated, “Many people do not report sexual assault cases because it goes on for years making the life of the victim and their family worse. Many even tend to withdraw cases in case of minor victims because they do not want their kids to carry the trauma from their childhood into adulthood. The government needs to take this issue seriously and must introduce and implement stricter laws in the State.”
The former chairperson of the Uttarakhand State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), Usha Negi, also expressed concern over the current situation in the State. She stated that the previous government had considered introducing a similar bill but was unable to do so. Negi also called for the active involvement of SCPCR and the Uttarakhand State Commission for Women (USCW) in ensuring the safety and welfare of women and children besides the police and other departments concerned. She stressed that these commissions should not only monitor the situation after a crime has been committed but also work proactively to ensure that the culprits are punished. “The commission is a constitutional body and it should use its power to ensure all departments concerned are working efficiently to ensure children stay safe and get justice on time. If such heinous crimes continue in the State, its fate is doomed as these children are the future of Uttarakhand,” she added.
However, BJP State media in-charge Manveer Singh Chauhan argued that Uttarakhand does not require such a law, claiming that the reported increase in crimes is due to more people coming forward to report them, rather than an actual rise in incidents. He stated that the BJP-led government encourages people to report crimes and ensures thorough investigations and arrests unlike other governments. Chauhan asserted that the current legal framework is sufficient to handle such cases. A senior advocate from Dehradun, RS Raghav, also supported the demand for a new law in Uttarakhand. He emphasised the need for a law that will expedite the investigation and court processes in cases of heinous crimes against women and children. Rautela argued that rape is a particularly heinous crime, as victims often endure prolonged trauma while waiting for justice. He called for the establishment of special courts dedicated solely to handling rape cases to ensure their timely resolution. The debate over the need for a stricter law in Uttarakhand continues, with various stakeholders advocating for measures that will ensure swift justice and better protection for women and children in the State.
