West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding speedy justice and death penalty within a stipulated time limit in such cases. She also asked the Prime Minister to enact stronger anti-rape laws. (File Photo/PTI)
Not many people are comfortable with the idea of capital punishment as they think it could be a knee-jerk reaction after the Kolkata doctor rape-murder case
With the West Bengal government soon to push for death penalty in rape cases after the horrific RG Kar Hospital case, focus and attention has returned to the Justice Verma Commission report passed in 2013 after the Nirbhaya case.
The committee submitted its report within 29 days, which was followed by a detailed study by the Parliamentary Standing Committee headed by M Venkaiah Naidu. On the recommendations of the committee, the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act was passed to impose stringent penalties in all cases of rape and sexual assault.
However, nearly all committee members agreed: As events have shown, the death penalty is not an effective deterrent against rape. The focus must be on changing mindsets and speedy justice.
Interestingly, one of the members of the committee is Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar of the Trinamool Congress, who is the MP from Barasat. Like others, she opposed the death penalty and believed harsh punishments could be imposed otherwise.
She explained her stance in an interview with News18 as the TMC government in Bengal is pushing for death penalty. She denied it was a damage control measure. “I think women should be strong and castration can act as an effective deterrent. As for the Bangladesh government's request, this is the stance they have taken considering the heinous nature of the crime and since the matter is being handled by the CBI , I do not wish to comment further,” she said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written two letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding speedy justice and death penalty within a stipulated time limit in such cases. She also asked the Prime Minister to enact stronger anti-rape laws. Union Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi responded to the two letters, explaining in detail how the new penal code or Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita can be a powerful deterrent.
The BJP has ridiculed the chief minister's letter and the Bengal government's plan to introduce the death penalty bill, saying it was just damage control and a cover-up. The bill requires the governor's nod, but that may not be easy. The center insists that current laws are tough enough on perpetrators.
There is unease within the TMC. Not many people are comfortable with the idea of capital punishment because they think it might be a knee-jerk reaction. Some argue that many countries that impose the death penalty fail to ensure an end to crimes against women.
But with Mamata and Abhishek Banerjee locked in a tight fight with the militant BJP, the TMC hopes to capitalize on the bill.
