Mumbai: The Maharashtra state government on Tuesday invited suggestions, changes to the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2020. The Shakti Law targets to deliver severer punishment of death penalty and fine up to Rs 10 lakh for monstrous crimes against women and children.

Anil Deshmukh, Home Minister of the state who is the head of the joint select committee of 21 law-makers, has appealed to people, women’s rights organisations, NGOs and legal experts to submit their suggestions for discussion.

The suggestions and amendments can be submitted to Rajendra Bhagwat, Secretary, State Legislature or emailed to a1.assem-bly.mls@gmail.com. One can check the draft copy of the bill on www.mic.org.in.

WHAT IS THE SHAKTI BILL

The bill pursues to amend the sections of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to be applied as law in the state. The Bill reportedly states that if found guilty, the offender will be punished with imprisonment for minimum ten years and may even be imprisoned for life or sentenced to death, depending on the nature of the act.

According to the draft bill, special police and separate courts will be set up for investigating and deliberating on cases against women and children. The Shakti Act includes cases of threatening and intimidating women on social media handles, acid attacks, making false complaints of rape, molestation, non-cooperation in investigation, disclosure of victims’ identities in case of molestation as crimes.