Bill In AP Assembly To Hang Killer-Rapists

Tabling the Disha Bill in the State Assembly on Friday, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister M Sucharitha said that the bill showed how much of a priority it was for Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy to protect the women of the State.

The bill would ensure that assailants of women faced stringent punishment hereon, and quite quickly, she said. The accused would be tried in fast track courts, and the duration of the trial would be just 21 days as against four months currently. And capital punishment would be given to all those convicted of rapes.

She also said that another bill also tabled today would ensure that those who harassed women through the social media would get two years of rigorous imprisonment.

The bill empowers the State to set up exclusive special courts in all the 13 districts to deal with cases of offences against women and children including rape, acid attacks, stalking, voyeurism, social media harassment of women, sexual harassment and all cases under the POCSO Act. The State will also employ special public prosecutors and a special police force dedicated to such crimes. A Women and Children Offenders Registry will also be maintained, and will be in the public domain.

Jagan said in his concluding remarks that as the Disha Bill was on issues that belonged in the concurrent list, it would go for Presidential Accord, and attract national attention through the resultant debates and discussions. In the infamous Nirbhaya case, the culprits could not be punished yet, and that was considered when drafting these bills, he said.