Pushed on the back foot by the spate of rape incidents and concerned at an alarming increase in crimes against women, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code (Cr.PC) and Indian Penal Code (IPC), calling for more stringent punishment for the rape accused and making the offence non-bailable.
“The ordinances pertaining to amendments in the relevant sections of Cr.PC and IPC have been sent to Governor B.L. Joshi for his approval,” Ms. Mayawati said.
She conceded that some of the incidents were on account of the lapses on the part of the police and the administrative officials in the districts. To tighten the screws on the State officials and making them more sensitive towards rape cases and atrocities on women, Ms. Mayawati has called a meeting of senior administrative and police officials, Commissioners, Inspectors-General, DIGs, District Magistrates and SPs in Lucknow on June 27.
The amendments proposed in Cr.PC are related to Sections 437 and 439 of the code.
While the rape accused are generally granted bail, as per the amendment, bail will not be granted to the accused till the case is disposed of. Amendment in the IPC has been proposed in Section 354 (outraging the modesty of women) for making rape a non-bailable offence in Uttar Pradesh.
“These changes in law will act as a deterrent and help reduce crime against women,” Ms. Mayawati told journalists here on Tuesday.
Ms. Mayawati said directives had been issued to the station house officers of all police station areas to launch a month-long campaign for preparing a dossier of persons with doubtful character. The SHOs have been asked to first try to reform such characters and, if they don't change, take strict action against them. Unruly elements would not be spared, she said.
Asking the media, particularly the TV channels, to exercise retrain in such cases till it gets the “ official version,” Ms. Mayawati said by jumping the gun not only wrong news was being disseminated but also a law and order problem was being created.
Ms. Mayawati slammed the Opposition parties, especially the Samajwadi Party, for launching a vicious propaganda against the government. Dubbed as a political conspiracy to defame her party and government, the Chief Minister cautioned the opposition parties not to politicise serious issues, but create “social awareness.”
