Two-day session of Maha legislature likely to pass law to curb crimes against women

Maharashtra legislature will hold a special two-day session to pass a bill on the lines of Andhra Pradesh’s Disha Act to curb crimes against women and ensure speedy trials, state home minister Anil Deshmukh said on Saturday.

“The government intended to bring this bill in the budget session of the legislature, but due to the unforeseen emergency caused by the coronavirus outbreak, this session has been cut short. Owing to the gravity of the issue [crimes against women], I will ask chief minister Uddhav Thackeray to call for a special two-day session of the legislature and introduce a bill similar to the Disha Act,” said Deshmukh.

The home minister’s statement in the legislative council came a day after Thackeray indicated that the state could bring in an ordinance to introduce the law.

“The issue of atrocities against women is serious. I visited Andhra Pradesh with a team of legal experts and officials from my department to study their Disha Act. A draft of this act for Maharashtra is presently being prepared,” Deshmukh said.

The legislature’s budget session was to conclude on March 20. However, it ended on Saturday owing to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Disha Act, or the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2019, provides for stringent punishment, including death penalty, in cases of atrocities against women. The law also facilitates a speedy trial in cases of crimes against women and mandates that judgments be given within 21 days.