High time for ‘Ankita Bill’; death penalty for rape in Maharashtra – VTA

Crime against women and children are unfortunately growing rapidly in the country and Maharashtra has also reported many such inhuman incidents from time to time, including the recent case of 24 year old Ankita Pisudde, a lecturer who was burnt & killed allegedly by stalker Vikesh Nagrale while she was on her way to college in Hinganghat.

Taking this issue on priority, delegation of Vidarbha Taxpayers Association (VTA) led by its president Shrawan Kumar Malu met Dr. Sanjeev Kumar, IAS – Divisional Commissioner and held discussion on the subject including submission of memorandum. This memorandum is also dispatched to Uddhav Thackeray – Chief Minister and Anil Deshmukh – State Home Minister, Mumbai.

Shrawan Kumar Malu, President VTA submitted before Divisional Commissioner that we are witnessing ever rising crime against women & children in the country and our State of Maharashtra is also facing such cases practically everyday. Therefore on the lines of Andhra Pradesh Government, its high time that we too have ‘Ankita Bill’ (Maharashtra Criminal Law Amendment Act 2020).

Tejinder Singh Renu, Secretary VTA said, such cases mostly happening because the criminals have no fear from Police and Law of the land, as they are very sure that they’ll get bail soon and then the trail & appeals thereafter will take decades. We need separate law which has death penalty for rape, time bound speedy trail & appeal in designated court & special public prosecutors, stringent punishment for sexual offenses against children and likewise.

Renu further said that admittedly Ankita Pisudde, had been stalked by Vikesh Nagrale since past few years/months and had also threaten her, so had police taken action with stern warning to Vikesh Nagrale; probably Ankita would have been alive. Police need to take such cases seriously and some special branch of police should be made to handle such cases on top priority.

VTA also requested that we also need hi-tech forensic labs for advanced DNA testing. as it has many advantages over traditional serologic methods. They are more powerful and applicable in a greater variety of specimens. Since DNA testing began being used in forensic testing in the past decade, techniques have developed rapidly. The quality assurance standards for DNA testing are very stringent and must meet numerous guidelines required by the forensic community and by the court system.

Divisional Commissioner Dr. Sanjeev Kumar appreciated the demand made by VTA and assured appropriate action from his office.Also present in VTA delegation were Hemant Trivedi – Vice President, Amarjit Singh Chawla & Rajesh Kanoongo – Joint Secretaries, Hemant Sharma and Hareshkumar Soni – Executive Body Members.