West Bengal Assembly Passes Aparajita Bill Amid Protests Over Doctor’s Rape and Murder

Kolkata, Sep 3, 2024: Amid widespread protests following the rape and murder of a 31-year-old doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, the West Bengal Assembly passed the Aparajita Bill, amending several provisions in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The bill introduces more stringent penalties for rape, child abuse, and the publicizing of sexual violence victims’ identities. Notably, it proposes life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty for rape convicts. It mandates the death penalty in cases of rape resulting in the victim’s death or vegetative state.

The Aparajita Bill also addresses gang rape, eliminating the option of a 20-year jail term in favor of life imprisonment or the death penalty. Additionally, the bill increases penalties for revealing the identity of sexual violence victims and toughens child abuse punishments. Provisions for special courts and task forces to expedite sexual violence cases are also included. Despite its passage in the state assembly, the bill requires President Droupadi Murmu’s assent to become law, a prospect considered unlikely due to political tensions between the state’s ruling Trinamool Congress and the BJP-led central government.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s administration faces intense criticism over its handling of the RG Kar rape-murder case. The bill, which mirrors similar, yet unapproved, legislation in Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, is seen as a strategic move by the Trinamool Congress to shift public perception and counter the Opposition’s allegations. However, the bill’s stringent measures are unlikely to be implemented without central approval.

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