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Andhra Pradesh aims for justice in 21 days for rape victims
Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had recently suggested a two-month deadline for investigations and six months upper limit for completing the trial in cases of rape and those registered under the POCSO Act.
The Andhra Pradesh government has cleared two landmark bills aimed to deliver speedy justice to women and children with the primary focus on victims of rape and other sexual offences. The first one cleared by the state cabinet on Wednesday promises justice in 21-days including investigation and trial and the second one mandates setting up of special courts to try sexual offences against women and children.
Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2019, also named as Andhra Pradesh Disha Bill, will be introduced in the state assembly on Thursday. It puts the onus on the state police to complete investigations, including the forensic and DNA profiling (when required), within one week from the date of the complaint and asks the courts to finish the trial in two weeks. In essence, it puts a three-week deadline for the judgment to be delivered in rape cases with conclusive evidence. Earlier, the time for judgments was four months, a government communication said.
The second bill, Andhra Pradesh Special Court for Specified Offences against Women and Children Bill, 2019, is aimed at setting up special courts to try cases of sexual offences against women and children, namely; rape, gang rape, acid attacks, harassment, sexual assaults, outraging the modesty in social media.
Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had recently suggested a two-month deadline for investigations and six months upper limit for completing the trial in cases of rape and those registered under the POCSO Act.
In July this year, the Centre started an initiative under which 1,023 special courts were to be formed to dispose of 166,882 cases of rape and cases under the POCSO Act, pending trial in various subordinate courts. The Supreme Court, on November 13, also ordered the setting up Fast Track Special Courts for quick disposal of over 160,000 POCSO cases. Andhra Pradesh and the neighbouring Telangana, where a veterinarian’s gang rape and brutal murder led to national outrage earlier this month, had not joined the initiative earlier.
The second bill also provisions for the trial of harassment in social media cases under Indian Penal Code’s section 354E, which broadly classifies eve-teasing. First-time offenders will get two years jail term and second timers four years, according to the bill. The social media harassment cases were earlier being tackled largely under the IT act.
The bill also stipulates that sexual offences against children will invite up to 14 years jail term under IPC section 354 F. If the offences are grave in nature, the culprits would get life term. Presently, these offences are tried under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (PoCSO) and the offenders are liable for jail term between three and five years only.
