The Shakti Act, commonly known as the Maharashtra Amendment, 2020, is once again on the surface.
This is because India is shocked by a number of reports of the rape and murder of an intern in Kolkata.
After the incident, a few days later, a nurse was raped in Uttarakhand and another nurse was murdered in the state in a suspected sexual assault case.
Now the same case has been uncovered in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu for sexual assault on two underage girls.
A massive protest took place in Badlapur, Maharashtra. In response to the protest, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said that Maharashtra’s Shakti Penal Act must be approved by the President of India.
Priyanka said that on the grounds that no other child or woman would face this tragedy.
Know the Penal Law of Maharashtra Shakti
The Shakti Act, formerly known as the Maharashtra Amendment, was first introduced in December 2020.
The bill seeks to amend the Indian Criminal Law Book (KUHP), the 1973 Penal Procedure Law Book, and the 2012 Child Protection from Sexual Crime Act (POSCO Act), which is currently in force in Maharashtra.
One of the main objectives of the bill is to strengthen legal provisions relating to violations committed against women and children and aim at reducing sexual violence.
The Joint Special Committee, consisting of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Members of the Legislative Council (MLC), received passages from the Shakti Bill for further review and discussion.
The Shakti Act introduces significant amendments to the Criminal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Crimes Act. (POCSO).
Even the law provides for the death penalty for perpetrators of certain serious crimes, including severe injuries caused by acid attacks, rape, and group rape.
The death penalty is likely to be imposed in cases where the offense is very cruel, supported by some convincing evidence, and demands punishment equal to his actions.
Before the death penalty is likely to be imposed, the maximum sentence for such violations is life imprisonment along with a fine.