The story so far: The monsoon session for legislatures across India will kick off soon, bringing a slew of new Bills and reviving several long-pending ones. Several such bills making punishment for rape more stringent lie dormant in these Assemblies, yet to be implemented as law. Promised in the wake of horrific rape cases like the gory incidents in Unnao, Kathua, Nirbhaya and others, State assemblies have often introduced, debated and sometimes even passed ‘anti-rape’ bills. However, seldom have these laws gained the President’s assent or withstood the courts’ scrutiny.
“Increased rate of crime against women is an area of concern for the law-makers and it points out an emergent need to study in depth, the root of the problem and remedy the same through a strict law and order regime. There are a number of legislations and numerous penal provisions to punish the offenders of violence against women. However, it becomes important to ensure that gender justice does not remain only on paper,” wrote Justice Bhanumathi in her verdict upholding the death penalty for the Nirbhaya rape convicts in 2017. However, the apex Court’s warning does not seem to have fructified.
