The West Bengal Assembly unanimously passed the ‘Aparajita Woman and Child Bill (West Bengal Criminal Laws and Amendment) Bill 2024’ on Tuesday, introducing stringent measures against sexual offenses, including the death penalty for rape cases leading to death or a vegetative state. The bill also mandates life imprisonment without parole for rape convictions. Tabled by Law Minister Moloy Ghatak during a special session, the bill received broad support, though proposed amendments by Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari were rejected.
The bill’s passage follows a recent outcry over the rape and murder of a woman doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College, which intensified calls for stronger legal protections for women and children in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee defended the state’s law enforcement, drawing comparisons to unsolved cases in other states and emphasizing the new law’s focus on swift investigations and harsher penalties. She also reiterated her demand for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to bring the perpetrator in the RG Kar Hospital case to justice.
The BJP supported the bill but stressed the importance of its immediate implementation, with Adhikari urging the state government to deliver concrete results. Despite his call for amendments, the bill was passed unanimously, marking a significant step in the state’s efforts to combat crimes against women and children.
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