The West Bengal Legislative Assembly in India has passed a bill imposing the death penalty for rape.
According to Indian media, the West Bengal Legislative Assembly passed the Aparajita Women’s and Child Bill 2024 on Tuesday following the sexual assault and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital.
After a brief discussion, the Bengal Assembly unanimously approved the bill, which calls for the death penalty for perpetrators of rape resulting in the victim’s death or permanent disability.
The bill also proposes amendments to various sections of the Indian Citizen Protection Code 2023 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act 2012.
The bill will now be sent to the Governor of West Bengal and then to the President of India for approval.
West Bengal has become the first Indian state to amend central laws related to rape, gang rape, and sexual crimes against children.
It should be noted that on August 9, a trainee female doctor associated with Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College was raped and murdered. The 31-year-old doctor’s body was found in a room at the medical college, and the post-mortem confirmed the assault.
According to Indian media, DNA and forensic reports proved that the main accused, Sanjay Roy, was solely involved in the assault and murder of the trainee female doctor.
