APARAJITA WOMEN AND CHILD BILL 2024 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Governance)

Context: West Bengal legislative assembly passed the Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024

• Time-Bound Trial and Fast-Track Courts: The Bill proposes amendments to expedite trials by ensuring time-bound proceedings, establishing more fast-track courts, and enhancing infrastructure for law enforcement agencies.
• Revised Punishments for Certain Offences: The Bill suggests replacing existing punishments, such as 10-year imprisonment, 20-year imprisonment, life imprisonment, and fines, with "imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, or with death and fine."
• Changes to Section 124 of BNS: Section 124 of BNS should be amended to replace the 10-year imprisonment, life imprisonment, and fines with "imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life and fine."
• Updated Penalties for Shorter Terms: The Bill proposes replacing the current two-year jail term and fine with "no less than three years but which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to fine."
• Victim Support and Special Courts: Amendments to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 include provisions for covering medical expenses and rehabilitation for victims, setting up special courts, and forming a task force led by a deputy superintendent of police for investigating specified offences.
• Faster Investigations: The Bill seeks to amend Section 193 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 to ensure that investigations are completed within "21 days" instead of the previously stipulated "two months."
• Changes to POCSO Act: The Bill proposes changing the penalties of 10-year imprisonment, life imprisonment, and fines in the POCSO Act to "imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, or with death and fine."