Assembly passes bill to set up special courts for speedy trial of crimes against women, children

Dilip Walse Patil, state home minister, tabled the bill Maharashtra Exclusive Special Courts (for certain offences against women and children under Shakti Law) 2020 in both Houses of the legislature.

Mumbai: Maharashtra legislative assembly and council unanimously on Thursday passed a bill that aims to constitute special police teams and exclusive special courts for the speedy investigation, trial and conviction in crimes against women and children under the Shakti Act. The bill is an extension of the Shakti Act that was passed by the state legislature in the winter session in December 2021 incorporating the suggestion made by the joint select committee of the state legislature.

“As per the bill, exclusive special courts can be set up for hearing the cases or existing courts can be given that rank depending upon the situation,” Patil said in the Assembly. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

Dilip Walse Patil, state home minister, tabled the bill Maharashtra Exclusive Special Courts (for certain offences against women and children under Shakti Law) 2020 in both Houses of the legislature. He said, “Both houses had passed Shakti bill to provide security to women in December 2021. But there was a need to make provision and set up infrastructure to provide additional security to women and children.”

“As per the bill, exclusive special courts can be set up for hearing the cases or existing courts can be given that rank depending upon the situation,” Patil said in the Assembly.

Shakti Bill was first passed in December 2021 which permitted the death penalty to rape and acid attack offenders in certain specific circumstances. After the bill was passed, a committee was set up to look into strengthening it by making amendments to the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to include new offences, increase punishments and speedier investigations and trials in crimes against women and children.

“In the proposed bill, one public prosecutor will be appointed. It is important that perpetrators are punished with regards to crimes against women and children, so instead of a public prosecutor, we have put a special public prosecutor in the bill. Provision has been made to set up a special police team for investigation,” Walse Patil said.